It's time to say goodbye to spring and hello to summer. As the higher temperatures set in, so do a number of should-do items for the home. These maintenance items should make it onto your summer checklist.
- Replace windows. While this may sound like a winter checklist item, proper windows and doors can be just as important in the summer, when looking to keep high temperatures out and low temperatures in.
- Plant a garden. There is nothing quite as wonderful as growing your own vegetables.
- Landscape cleanup. Typically fall, late spring or early summer are ideal times for a cleanup and sprucing of items such as mulching and weeding.
- Fill the potholes. Whether it is your driveway or sidewalk, summer is a good time fill in any and all potholes.
- Add additional lighting. Although the days are longer in the summer, lighting is still just as important as children and adults extend outdoor activities.
- Install an outdoor kitchen. Now is the time when some families look to dine al fresco. Installing an outdoor kitchen can be the ideal addition to any outdoor experience.
- Check fixed elements on your home. Fixed elements include stone and brickwork, which should be properly maintained.
- Repaint. The summer is a time of year when many homeowners may choose to repaint or refresh their home's exterior.
- Replace and or check detectors such as your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Service HVAC equipment. This is the time of year when your air conditioning equipment will be pulling double duty, so you will want to make sure all equipment is capable of working at full capacity.
Cathy Hobbs, based in New York, is a television host and interior design and home staging expert.
HomeStyle on 06/08/2019