Keeping your home in great shape doesn’t require a full remodel—just intentional seasonal maintenance. Small, consistent tasks protect your home’s structure, save you money, and give your spaces that “fresh start” feeling. Below is your season-by-season guide and checklist to what you actually need to do in spring and fall so your home runs smoothly all year long.
Contents:
Spring Home Maintenance
Outdoor Spring Maintenance
Clean Gutters & Downspouts
After winter, gutters collect debris that can trap water and lead to roof or foundation damage. Clear out leaves, mud, and buildup so water can flow freely. If you notice stains or water overflow, it may indicate improper drainage which is something a pro should check.
Try this gutter cleaning wand if you’re not a fan of ladders!
Inspect Your Roof
Winter can create nail pops, cracked shingles, and small leaks. Catching these early keeps minor issues from turning into full-blown repairs later.
Refresh Caulking & Weather Stripping
Look around every window and door for cracked caulking. Replacing impurities improves your home’s energy efficiency because it keeps the hot summer air outside and the cool air inside.
Reset Your Sprinkler System
Before watering season starts, check for broken heads, leaks, or low pressure. If your system is battery-operated, swap them out now so you’re not troubleshooting mid-July.
Wash Your Deck or Patio
Winter leaves decks and patios grimy, so definitely power wash your decking (keep pressure moderate to avoid damage), and spray down patios. After that, pull out furniture and bring the grill back to life—it’s officially outdoor season!
Clean Windows
Wipe away streaks, stains, and residue inside and outside your windows so the summer sun can shine through. We love using a simple homemade solution such as a few drops of dish soap with distilled water or combining 2 cups distilled water with 1/2 cup white vinegar. Then pour your mixture in a clean spray bottle, grab your microfiber cloth, and work from the top down for squeaky-clean windows!
Prep Your Outdoor Water System
If you have an Aquor Water System (something we recommend due to its seamless look, durability, and easy winterization process), it’s time to hook up your hose connector so you can access the water outdoors at any time. Simply attach the hose connector by pushing it in and turning clockwise.
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Indoor Spring Maintenance
Service Your HVAC Before Summer
Your AC works the hardest in summer, so get it ready now. First check the filter, then ensure the condenser drains properly, and then gently hose off the exterior unit using medium pressure. If this feels intimidating, schedule a professional tune-up.
Adjust AprilAire Humidity Settings
The humidity skyrockets in the summer, meaning we turn our AprilAire built-in humidifier down to balance our home’s interior relative humidity levels. It ties to our furnace system, making it super easy to adjust. As a general recommendation, The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers recommends keeping your home’s relative humidity between 40-60%. However, your home’s exact needs will vary slightly based on the season, outside temperature, and where you live in the country, so do some research to learn what level is best for your scenario!
Clean the Dryer Vent
A clogged and dirty dryer vent decreases the dryer’s efficiency and also poses a fire risk. Use this dryer vent cleaning kit to clean out your vent once per year. Here is an easy how-to video to help you if you’re a newbie to this checklist item!
Deep Clean
- Carpets and Rugs – Salt, snow, and winter grime settle into flooring… EW!
- Kitchen – Wipe appliances, cabinet interiors, ice maker, etc.
- Bathroom – Scrub the grout, wipe faucet buildup, etc.
- Laundry Room – Wipe down machines, clean the washer, and vacuum lint and dust.
Fall Home Maintenance (Winter Prep)
Indoor Fall Maintenance
Service Your Furnace & Replace Filters
We highly recommend having your furnace checked every year in preparation for cold weather, or, at the very least, turn it on and make sure everything is working properly. It’s easy to run into unnecessary repair needs, breakdowns, and even smaller operational issues without annual maintenance, and it’s better to find out about any issues before it’s -10 degrees and you really need that heat. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to change your furnace filters!
Clean Air Intake Vents
Dust, dander, bacteria, and household chemicals can build up in your HVAC systems during the cold weather when you’re indoors. Clear and functioning air intake vents prevent that buildup and ensure your air is clean and healthy, so make sure you are cleaning them out to keep them working properly.
Clean Wood-Burning Fireplace Flues
Fireplaces are a leading cause of house fires and carbon monoxide poisoning, so this one is important. You’ll want to avoid build up by having your fireplace flues cleaned annually, since a lot of damage can come from even a small amount of creosote.
Outdoor Fall Maintenance
Winterize Outdoor Spigots & Store Hoses
Don’t skip out on disconnecting any hoses and draining the faucets! Because if you do, you’re leaving your water lines susceptible to the cold weather’s harsh effects. The water could potentially freeze and burst, which will require an expensive repair.
Clear Gutters
Fall leaves + melting snow = the ideal setup for ice dams and water backups. Making sure your gutters are free of all debris and clogs before winter hits should be a top priority. If your gutters are clogged during the colder seasons, it can prevent water from getting to the downspout, or it can trap water, which again, can cause damage if it freezes and expands. It’s also a good habit to clean them out on a semi-regular basis anyways.
Blow Out Sprinkler Lines
It’s critical to blow out your sprinklers to prevent water from freezing inside the pipes and system components, which could cause cracks or damage when the water freezes and expands.
Inspect Roof & Patch Any Issues
A roof inspection helps you prepare for winter because it can locate any potential problems with your roof. This will allow you to fix minor issues and avoid larger, more expensive problems later.
Clean & Cover Your AC Unit
Your air conditioner likely gathered a lot of dust and debris while it was running over the summer, so it’s a good idea to hose it off to clean it out. Before you do this though, make sure you check the manufacturer’s recommendations on the best way to clean it. Once it is cleaned, cover the unit to prevent ice and snow buildup. Pro tip: Choose a cover that only covers the top of the unit, not the sides.
Seasonal Home Checklist
Spring
Outdoor
☐ Clean gutters and downspouts
☐ Inspect roof for damage
☐ Replace caulking/weather stripping
☐ Check sprinkler system and batteries
☐ Wash deck/patio and set out furniture
☐ Clean windows
☐ Reconnect Aquor hose system
Indoor
☐ Service HVAC before summer
☐ Replace HVAC filters
☐ Organize closets
☐ Clean dryer vent
☐ Adjust AprilAire humidity
☐ Deep clean carpets/rugs
☐ Deep clean kitchen
☐ Deep clean bathrooms
☐ Deep clean laundry room
Fall
☐ Service furnace and replace filters
☐ Clean air intake vents
☐ Clean fireplace flues
☐ Winterize spigots and store hoses
☐ Clean gutters
☐ Blow out sprinkler system
☐ Schedule roof inspection
☐ Clean and top-cover AC unit
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