5 Steps To Prepare Your Home for Fall

As the months go by and you feel the summer heat dissipate, the kids return to school and the fall season is in full swing. While it is fun to watch the leaves change as you anticipate the holidays, this is also a time when you can make some changes around the house and prepare for the cooler months to come. 

From making sustainable repairs to reorganizing your closet, there is a lot you can do to get ready. Here are five great steps to consider for an autumn-ready home.

1. Be Proactive About Pests

The funny thing about rodents and insects is that they are more like us than we realize. Many of them get dehydrated and most don’t like to be cold, so they will try to find a way into your house to stay warm during the fall season. It is essential that you are proactive to avoid the threat of pests, especially rodents. In addition to being annoying, a rodent infestation can be harmful to your health.

If mice and rats are able to get into your cabinets and food supply, then they can leave droppings and saliva in their wake. If they do and you make contact, then you can potentially come down with Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome — a respiratory disease that has a mortality rate of 38%. Needless to say, you need to begin taking steps to prevent pests. Start by bringing in a pest control specialist to spray and tell you about any trouble areas. Then, make sure to seal all of your food in secure containers. Also, clean up any leaks in your plumbing as insects can congregate there for water.

2. Increase Efficiency Around the Home

When the cooler months come around, and you start turning on the heat so your family can stay warm and cozy, you will want to take the proper precautions to ensure that you are not wasting energy. To do so, consider implementing some budget-friendly, sustainable home upgrades and repairs. 

For instance, it is a good idea to apply weatherstripping to the perimeter of your doors and windows because doing so will eliminate the possibility that your heat can seep out through those spaces. Also, switch out your incandescent lighting for LED bulbs that not only last longer but will also provide more vivid light during those autumn nights.

3. Install a Smart Thermostat

Another way to fight wasted energy is to install a smart thermostat. While it is important to be warm during evenings and weekends when everyone is in the house, you don’t need to keep the temperature at the same level when you’re not at home. During the colder months, the best temperature to set your thermostat is between 68 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit while you are at home. When you are away, you can lower it closer to 65 degrees so the heater doesn’t turn on as often to heat an empty house — and it’s not cold enough to freeze the pipes.

Since it can be difficult to remember to change the temperature every time you leave or come home, you can invest in a smart thermostat. You only need to program this device once, and then it will change the heat at those pre-set intervals so you can stay warm and also reduce your utility bills.

4. Check Out Your Roof and Gutters

Next, you should get out your ladder and take a trip up to protect the roof for the stormy season ahead. The fall and winter months can bring a higher chance of rain, snow, and storms, so it is a good idea to check out your roof and make sure that there are not any leaks or missing shingles that could lead to issues down the road. If you don’t know a lot about roof maintenance, then contact a professional.

This is also a good time to clean out your gutters. Since more leaves will be falling during autumn and many will be landing in your gutters, you will want to ensure that you don’t have a buildup of debris that will make your problem worse. If rainwater cannot travel freely through your gutters and downspouts then they could overflow, and the falling water could ruin your yard and the foundation of your home.

5. Get Organized

The fall season is also a great time to organize and clear the clutter from your home. You likely have a lot of stuff sitting around from your summer adventures, and it is time to put everything back in its place. In addition to being unsightly, a mess at home can also exacerbate depression symptoms and leave you feeling mentally drained because, subconsciously, we feel like we are losing control of our environment. Since you don’t want to feel that way as we head into the holiday season, find a place for everything and use a creative storage solution like an ottoman in the living room if necessary.

While you are getting organized and moving belongings, this is also a good time to rotate your warm and cold weather clothes. Put all of your summer wear away in storage or hang it up in your closet and bring out the pants, sweaters, and long-sleeved shirts. That way, you are ready when the cooler weather approaches.

As you can see, there are many steps that you can take today to prepare for the arrival of fall. Consider these tips, and you can take some stress off of your plate as the new season draws near.

5 Maintenance Tasks That You Should Check Off Your List Each Autumn

As soon as the weather begins to cool off, it is time for homeowners to start thinking about winterizing their homes. With a little bit of preventative maintenance, you can rest assured that your home will be able to withstand cold temperatures and harsh winter storms.

Inspect the Roof

Your roof is your home's first line of defense against the elements, and it should be thoroughly inspected at least a few times a year. In addition to inspecting the exterior shingles, you should also take a look at your attic to ensure that there is no water damage. As long as you catch the damage early on, it should be fairly easy for a contractor to repair small leaks and cracks. This can help prevent ice dams and water damage from snow on the roof this winter.

Reverse the Ceiling Fans

Many people assume that ceiling fans are just for cooling rooms. They don't realize that they should reverse their ceiling fans during the coldest months of the year. When your ceiling fan is spinning clockwise, it is going to disperse all of the warm air in the room to maintain a consistent temperature. That simple change could end up to 10 percent on your heating costs. You can reverse the direction simply by flipping the switch located around the motor of the fan.

Seal Up Cracks Around Doors and Windows

When the temperature or humidity levels change, small cracks might appear throughout your house. If those cracks aren't addressed, then you could end up wasting money on your energy bills every month. Small cracks around doors, windows, and vents might not seem like much—they may even seem inevitable—but they can let warm air escape your home, forcing your heater to work harder. Fortunately, these can easily be sealed with high-quality caulk and a caulking gun.

Trim the Trees

Trimming all of the trees on your property is another important maintenance step that you shouldn’t ignore. When the first winter storms blow through, damaged tree branches could end up falling onto your home. This could damage the roof, windows, siding, porch, and structural supports of your home, depending on the size of the fallen branches. Additionally, since trees go dormant during the coldest months of the year, this is the perfect time to do some trimming. They’re better able to heal quickly and avoid pests and disease if they’re trimmed while they’re dormant.

Service the HVAC System

This is the time of year when you’re shutting off your air conditioner for the year and getting the furnace ready to turn on. To avoid needing to call for emergency services later when your furnace goes out in the middle of a blizzard or your air conditioning goes out during the first heatwave next year, get your HVAC system serviced.

Your HVAC contractor will be able to carry out any necessary air conditioning maintenance so that problems don’t accumulate during the winter months. It’s often much more affordable to get this taken care of in the off season.

While home maintenance might seem like time-consuming chores, these few tasks could prevent major problems down the road. Some simple maintenance projects could also potentially reduce your heating and cooling bills by thousands of dollars every year.

Guest Post - Ways to Prepare Your Home for Fall

Fall is known for crisp leaves, chilly air and the holidays that take place in succession. When the temperature drops for the first time, many people pull out their boots and scarves and won’t look back until the following spring. While you may be preoccupied betting yourself ready, you should consider taking the time to make sure your house is prepared for the colder weather, too.

Your house shelters you, so it makes sense that you should care for it in return. Before the weather grows too cold, you can patch up the areas that may be failing and ensure your family has an easy winter ahead of them.

1. Check Batteries

Checking the batteries of your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should be a routine item on your checklist. At the very least, you should change these batteries once a year to ensure everything works properly.

Work the battery check into your seasonal routine, and you’ll never put your family at risk. As a bonus, you’ll never have to worry about the annoying beeping from those devices when batteries run low.

2. Go Through Clothes

As you prepare for the winter months that will soon be here, you may be digging through boxes in the closet or your garage full of warmer, thicker clothes. Take this time to go through any summer clothing that doesn’t fit your family members anymore and donate it to an organization that will give it to someone in need. 

Giving away clothes that your family doesn’t wear anymore can help you clear out some space in your house, which might work exceptionally well as storage for new holiday decorations. You can also pride your family on a job well done in a simple task that can make a huge difference.

3. Catch up on Maintenance

Look out for the areas of your home that need a little extra care before the cold weather comes — especially your gutters. As autumn rolls in, leaves will be falling everywhere. Make sure your gutters are spotless before the season begins so they won’t be blocked by so many leaves.

Additionally, you can save money on your heating bill by insulating your garage door properly. If your garage is attached to your home, you mustn’t allow heat to escape through it. You should also clean or replace any weather stripping that looks dirty or rotten. Doors and windows can receive the same treatment if you have the time.

4. Test Your Backups

Test your backup generator to make sure it still works. Replace batteries in flashlights and radios if need be. By testing these items out when you don’t need them, you’ll feel better prepared for the storms that are sure to come. You’ll know that reliable backups are waiting for you in case of an emergency.

5. Make Outdoor Repairs

Before it gets too cold, you should focus on making the repairs you put off or didn’t get to over the summer. For example, if you need to trim or remove dead limbs off trees so they don’t pose a hazard to your home, you should do so before the winds of fall come rolling in.

You should also fix walkways that are damaged. Later in fall or early winter, when ice forms overnight, sidewalks can become slippery and a falling hazard. Even healthy and active people are at high risk for outdoor falls, maybe more so than their senior citizen counterparts. You’ll also want to have a plan for clearing snow and ice in place, like when you’re going to salt your driveway or sidewalk or if you plan to shovel it the next day.

Preparing to Fall Into Cooler Weather

Fall is a transitional period of the year. You should ensure your household is prepared for the worst of the cold weather to fully enjoy all the exciting parts of the season and the most beautiful time of the year.

Author bio: Rose Morrison is the managing editor of Renovated, where she offers advice on home renovation, maintenance, and organization.nd slow-paced lifestyle now, because your little ones will be back in school before you know it!