Get ready for summer with these home maintenance tips
Summer time brings the warm weather. For your living space, that means it's time for home maintenance. There are several different things you can do to say good-bye to the cold weather and get your home ready for the summer. Even better, most of your summer home maintenance can be accomplished in one weekend. Your home can easily be ready for summer come Canada Day weekend.
It's no secret that home ownership can be expensive with the costs of upkeep, routine maintenance and other expenses such as your mortgage, home insurance premiums, and property taxes. Getting your home ready for summer will cost a little bit of cash, but it won't break the bank if you use these four budget friendly tips:
Clean out your air conditioner
A dusty or clogged up air conditioner can lead to sweaty summer days and high energy bills because the harder it has to work, the more money it costs. Clean out your air conditioner to make sure it's in tip top shape and can efficiently circulate cold air all summer.
If your windows need to be replaced, you may want to consider energy efficient windows. You don't want to get your air conditioner in order and have all the cold weather leak out due to old windows - or let the warm air get in.
Remove debris from your yard and gutters
Now is the time of year to get your outdoor and backyard cleaning done. This includes cutting the lawn for the first time and adding fertilizer to grow it into the perfect shade of green, planting your flower or vegetable garden, cleaning out your garage to rid of old junk, and getting on the roof and cleaning out your gutters.
Clean gutters mean water flows off your roof during rainstorms. This helps prevent water damage from a leaky roof. While you're up there, it's a good idea to check your roof shingles to make sure everything is still intact. If your roof needs to be replaced, summer is the time to make it happen. It’s not the most popular of home maintenance tips, but take care of your roof now, and you will have fewer problems during the winter.
Get the barbeque ready for grilling
Summer is the time to throw some shrimp on the barbeque. According to Style at Home, this is the perfect occasion to give your grill a good deep clean: "Disconnect the gas, disassemble the barbeque from roof to tray (according to manufacturer instructions), and clean with soapy water. Tackle the grill separately with a hard-wire brush – use oven or barbeque cleaner on particularly tough build-up."
Fill up your pool
If you plan on sitting poolside all summer, you want to get it ready for relaxing evening swims and weekend parties with family and friends. Test the liner to see if there are any leaks and get them patched up right away. Leaky water is a big expense.
If your summer home maintenance includes renovations or upgrades, be sure to contact your insurance provider and upgrade your home insurance coverage to include the updates. The last thing you want is to have an unfortunate accident in your home this summer and not be covered.