WOW! It is hard to believe that Labor Day is fast approaching! We sure have experienced a hot summer in "hot-lanta"! But, what else is new? The kids are trickling back to school. Families are getting into the fall routine. This weekend my neighborhood will have it's annual pool party. A DJ from Star 94 will entertain the crowd and BBQ will be served up by Dreamland BBQ. The kids will have one of those "bouncy house" deals and the local fire and police department will show off vehicles and a police dog. But after this weekend... I will start thinking about the projects that need to be done around my house this fall.
Which reminds me that I should probably remind you too, of the many projects you should be considering to maintain value and accomplish your seasonal "due diligence" around your home too.
Now that summer is beginning to wind down and cooler weather is on its way, it’s time to get some of the routine home maintenance out of the way before it gets too cold. If you don’t prepare your home in the fall season, and clean up the yard, when spring comes along, you could be left with an unsightly mess. Here are a few tips to prepare your home for cooler weather and the cold months ahead.
Clean out the rain gutters – I was at a home in Marietta as recent as last week. The homeowners have lived in the home for about 10 years and they have never cleaned their gutters. No kidding! There were sprouts of pine trees growing from the gutters. If you have rain gutters on your home, fall is the best time to get them cleaned. Cleaning rain gutters isn’t that difficult of a task, it’s just a tedious one. The easiest way to get rid of the junk is to use a high pressure hose, and then use a small trowel to get rid of the rest of the debris. Once you have gotten rid of all the debris, give your gutters a final spray. If your gutters are too high and out of the way and you don't trust yourself on a ladder, call in a handyman who can take care of the problem.
Take care of your pots and planters – If you’re like most homeowners, you have some planters or potted plants sitting around the yard. Before it gets too cold, be sure to empty the dirt out of any pots or planters and put them in a place where they won’t freeze. If you don’t empty or store your planters, there’s a good chance they will either crack or fall apart by next season.
Rake the leaves – Keeping your yard free of leaves is an important task for homeowners. If you have numerous trees in your yard and piles of leaves that you don’t take care of, you might find that your grass is dead once spring arrives. Leaves can smother your lawn and replacing a lawn can cost a lot of money, so it’s a good rule of thumb to get rid of the leaves in the fall. Besides, leaves that have been sitting for a while and gone through a wet and dry period eventually promote mold spores. It is best to get your leaves cleaned up as they fall.
Weed and feed the lawn – The best time to weed and feed the lawn is in the fall. If you add weed killer in the fall, the weeds will store the poison in their roots during the winter season, and will prevent a breakout in the spring. By feeding your lawn with fertilizer in the fall, you are promoting healthy root growth, and this will help your lawn grow greener and faster in the spring. You also might consider having your lawn aerated. This can be done in either the spring or the fall.
Give your tools a tune-up – Once you have finished your fall maintenance chores, make sure you clean your tools and store them in a dry place so they will be in working order once spring arrives. Be sure to store metal shovels with the head upwards, as this will help detour rusting when it dries. Sheers need to be oiled up, wheel barrels should be left upside down and don’t forget to spray off the underside of the lawnmower.
Sara Hibbard is a licenced Realtor in the state of Georgia and serves Buyers and Sellers in the north Atlanta metro area. Call Sara for all your Real Estate needs. She can be reached at 770-399-8108 or e-mail Sara at sara.hibbard@metrobrokers.com.
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