Things you should do to your home before Autumn arrives

Things you should do to your home before Autumn arrives

October, 2019

Sadly, summer is coming to an end and autumn is just around the corner. For some of us, we can’t wait to snuggle up inside in front of the TV, with a cosy blanket and a hot chocolate. However, if you don’t prepare your home for colder weather, then autumn might not be as relaxed as you’d expect.

To enjoy a stress-free season, follow these tips:

Clean your gutters:

Be honest, when was the last time you took the ladder out, climbed up, and looked at your gutters? Exactly.

Dead leaves and other debris can easily clog up gutters, causing them to overflow when the heavy rain arrives. This can damage both the exterior and interior of your home. To save yourself the hassle of trying to unclog your leaky guttering mid-rainstorm, clean them out before autumn arrives.

Check for draughts:

In the summer, a nice breeze is more than welcome. However, this will change when it turns chilly outside and the central heating is turned on.

You don’t want to waste money by cranking the heating up if you have a draughty home. Walk around your house, identify the source of the draughts, and seal them accordingly.

Drain your hosepipes:

In the summer, we use hosepipes to water our gardens or clean the dust off our cars, often leaving them out for convenience. However, if they’re left outside in the autumn/winter months, and water remaining in the hose may freeze. This will cause the hosepipe to burst, leaving you having to pay for a new one. Make sure to drain and store your hosepipes indoors!

Pack away garden furniture:

As the rain and wind approaches, it’s time to box up those comfortable outdoor cushions, collapse the sun-loungers, and bring in the umbrellas.

Store there in a garden shed, basement, or your attic if you have space. If you have none of these, then invest in some watertight outdoor furniture covers, and make sure they are tied down securely.

Fix any cracks you can see in your driveway:

When water gets into cracks, it can freeze and make the crack expand. To save yourself the hassle of fixing a huge crack in your drive, tackle the issue while it’s still manageable.

You can pick up some filler easily enough at a hardware store, or online.

Fertilise your garden:

To keep your garden looking green and healthy in spring and summer, you must prepare it for the winter months. That means fertilising the lawn, turning over the soil in your flowerbeds, and planting any bulbs that you want to come up in the spring.

Also, when it comes to garden care, make sure to rake up any leaves that fall to ensure it remains looking clean and tidy.

Schedule a chimney clean and boiler maintenance:

If you have a wood burner, then it’s important that you have someone come and sweep the chimney before you light the first fire of the year. It could have become clogged up during the spring and summer months with all sorts of debris, and failing to check for this could result in a chimney fire.

If you have a boiler, then it would be a good idea to have someone come and service it before the cold weather hits. There would be nothing worse than having your boiler break down in the middle of a cold spell!