Keeping a home in good condition requires regular maintenance. Whenever seasons change, you need to ensure your home is ready for that season. Summer is when the sun would be blazing in the sky. You need to be prepared to block out sunlight from entering your home. You need to ensure the air-conditioner is working fine to keep you cool in the heat. There are many things that you need to do to get your home ready for summer. Having a checklist would ensure that you don’t miss out on anything.

Here’s a comprehensive summer home maintenance checklist that will help make your home ready for summer. The checklist has things that you need to do before the summer starts.

1. Get the air-conditioner and fans ready

Summer is when your air-conditioner would work at full load. Make sure that the air-conditioner is in good condition as it probably would run throughout the day. You may need to change the air filter if it is clogged up. Preventive maintenance would be helpful to ensure your AC is in good condition. You can consider calling a maintenance person to get the air-conditioner services. If you prefer to do it yourself, make sure you change the filters, clean the vents and test whether it is cooling well. Check if any plants have grown near the AC, they could be blocking the outlet and reducing its efficiency. Get plants and shrubs near the AC trimmed.

If you use fans, then test if they are working. You may need to clean the fans thoroughly as dust would have accumulated on top of the blades. If your fan has a provision to change direction of blade movement, set it to anti-clockwise. This ensures the fan would push the cool air down. If you use standing fans, remove the grill and clean both the grills and the fan blades.

If you are thinking of buying a new fan or air-conditioner, the best time is to buy it well before summer starts. If you buy it during summer, the chances are that its prices would go up due to high demand.

2. Do a thorough windowcleaning

Keep your windows clean by dusting them. You can wash the windows using water mixed with a little quantity of mild detergent. Don’t forget to clean the window screens too. If you are using curtains or blinds, clean them and make sure the blinds are working fine. Clean windows ensure energy efficiency. If there is too much of sunlight entering through your windows, you are considering getting a tint for the windows so it would block out the sunlight and keep your home cooler.

3. Check out fire control measures

Fires are common during a hot summer. Ensure that your smoke detector is working fine. Do test it out. If required, call in a maintenance engineer to get it repaired. Sometimes all you need to do is change the batteries. Try it out first and if it is still not working, call in the maintenance person. If you have a fire extinguisher, check if it is in working condition.

4. Take care of the exteriors

The exterior of your home is what makes it look good. Do a detailed check to see if there are any problem areas that need fixing. There could be damage because of winter, that needs fixing. Attend to this on your own or take the help of a specialist. Dusting, cleaning and a wash of exteriors can be planned. Fix any cracks that have come up. If the paint has peeled off you can give it a touch-up. If it has been many years since the house was painted, you can consider a full paint job for the house.

Do check out the fence or wall around your home. Any cleaning, repair work can be planned. A fresh coat of paint can be applied to make it look good. Any gaps in the fence can be sealed to prevent pests from entering your home. Summer is when many pests make their appearance. So, ensure that gaps all around the house and even on the roof are fixed to prevent entry of pests. If you already have a pest infestation, consider calling in the pest control people. Make sure the gutter outside the house is clean to prevent pests from breeding. Standing water is an invitation for mosquitoes to breed, so cleaning the gutter keeps you safe.

5. Fix the deck

If you have a deck area, then you would probably be using it more during the summer evenings. This is the right time to clean up the deck and patio area. A complete dusting, cleaning, and washing would be helpful. It is possible that there may be molds on wood due to winter. Get it fixed. Check for loose boards and hammer the nails in place. Your deck may need resealing. It is best to get it done before the summer starts. Don’t forget to clean all the furniture outside. Dusting and cleaning with a soap solution and leaving it to dry is the best way to get this done.

6. Fix the landscaping

In summer, pests can find a great place to breed on your lawn, if it is overgrown. Remove any weeds and use the lawn mower to have a sleek looking lawn, where there is no place for pests. You can check out the plants, they may need some work to be done. Trimming of bushes, removing weed, cutting out dead branches can be completed before the summer starts.

Summer is when your plants will need more watering. Start deep watering of plants a little before the start of the summer. This ensures that the plants are ready to be watered deep throughout the summer when it becomes dry. It also promotes root growth. You can consider sprucing up your garden with new plants that grow in the summer. Add mulch to the plants to allow them to retain moisture during the hot months.

Summer is also when you can use solar power effectively. Get solar light for outdoors. You can light up for the entire lawn and outdoor area for free. The solar cells will be charged during the day and run your lights at night. It is a good idea to plan this before the summer.

7. Keep the water pipes ready

Since your plants need more water during the summer, you need to keep the water pipes ready. Check if the pipes are working fine. Check if there are any leaks anywhere, especially in the taps. You don’t want to waste water during the summer. If you use sprinklers, check out if they are working fine.

8. Get ready for the BBQ parties

Summer is when you would like to have barbeque parties on the deck. Make sure that you have all that is required for a barbeque. Bring out the grill and give it a thorough cleaning. If you have a charcoal grill, it may need thorough cleaning. Check if it is working fine.  Clean the grills using soap water, wipe it clean and allow it to dry.  If you have a gas grill, light it to high heat keeping it closed. Then let it cool down and you can clean it thoroughly.

9. Clean the driveway and the walkway.

Cleaning and a strong power wash will be helpful in making it look spic and span. If there are any cracks, you can fill them, so that dirt won’t accumulate.

10. Get your interiors ready

Now that you are done with the outside work, it is time to look inside. A thorough cleaning of the entire home can be done once. Cleaning of carpets and floor is a must. Clean all the rooms. You would no longer need the heavy blankets in your bedroom. Replace them with light ones. You can replace heavy curtains with light ones to allow the breeze to enter your house.

Carry out a complete check of the home for mold. Get rid of it before summer starts or it would grow in the warmth of the summer. While cleaning the inside of your home, do clean the attic. It would definitely be a difficult job with a lot of junk. Cleaning it up would allow you to block any gaps that allow pests to enter your house.

11. Clean the kitchen and bathroom

You would of course, keep your kitchen and bathroom clean throughout the year. If you postponed cleaning to summer, then this is the time to get it done. Clean the kitchen sink. Use hot water to flush the pipes and ensure it is clean. Clean the dishwasher and washing machine too. The refrigerator would also be used more during the summers, so clean it and carry out preventive maintenance. If you are getting periodic maintenance done from professionals, then this is the time to get it done. Check the shower-head and pipes to fix any leaks.

Summer months is where you can cut down on your electric bill by using solar water heaters for your bath. Since everyday would be sunny, you can install solar panels to heat water. You can thus avoid using electric water heaters during the summer.

12. Keep out dirt

Don’t forget to add a new doormat. Summer is when there is a lot of dirt and doormats are needed to keep the dirt out. You can keep a rough mat outside and a soft one inside to ensure your house does not become dirty.

13. Clean the trash

Ensure the trash can is emptied. Clean it thoroughly or get a new trash can. Keep the trash can closed so that garbage is not exposed inviting pests.

14. Put out the clothes to dry

During summer, you can again make use of the sun to dry clothes. Setup a clothesline in your backyard, where you can hang out clothes to dry. There is nothing like the natural heat of the sun to dry clothes naturally.

The above list is fairly comprehensive and covers all the things that need to be done before summer starts. Doing all these before summer starts would be very helpful in keeping your home in good condition.

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