As it does every year, spring is making its way to your Georgia home. That might not seem to be the case after the too-long gray days of winter, but it really is coming.
Is your homeowners insurance policy ready for the change of seasons? That’s only one of the issues you’ll want to resolve as the calendar turns to another beautiful Peach State springtime. Here are nine steps you should take while preparing your home for spring.
The Importance of Seasonal Home Preparation
Springtime is a nice milestone. It comes after a period of hibernation — even in the Sun Belt South. It’s not like Georgians have to dig themselves out of blizzard snowfall (normally) to meet the new season, but 40-degree winters leave everyone eager for longer, sunnier, and warmer days with flowers blossoming.
You want to celebrate the new season by cleaning your house, getting outside, and meeting the neighbors again.
You can do many of the tasks on your home maintenance checklist at any point on the calendar. It’s just sort of a tradition to tackle a spring cleaning list and get your home in prime shape as the world opens up for us again.
Step One: Gutters and Downspouts
Face it, your gutters are in pretty bad shape by now. They’re full of autumn’s fallen leaves, weed dust, and the winter’s grit and grime. If your downspouts get clogged with all that seasonal debris, the rainwater collected won’t go where it’s supposed to go. It might end up between your walls or through the roof of your attic.
That’s why springtime is the ideal time to take on the job of cleaning up and unclogging your gutters and downspouts. Temperatures are mild, and you actually want to spend some time outside with your chores. Make this an annual springtime task, and you’ll never have to worry about what might otherwise go wrong.
Step Two: Window-Washing Wonderland
You finally want to get a clear view of what’s out there. The scenery is going from winter’s colorless grime to multi-hued blossoms and shockingly green vegetation. The world has awakened! Time to polish that view and make the most of it.
If you can’t clean the exterior window panes from inside your home, the balmy weather invites you to get on a ladder and bring along your window-cleaning spray fluid.
You’ll never fully comprehend the effect of winter’s snow, drizzle, salt, and grime until you polish your way through it and appreciate the “before” and “after.” This is guaranteed to be a spring cleaning venture you’ll actually enjoy.
Step Three: Invigorate Your Lawn or Garden
Another view you want to have through your freshly cleaned window panes is rich, black soil, a lush, emerald green lawn, and the early spring garden blossoms. But you need to put in a little work before you gain that powerful sensory reward.
A Georgia spring is the ideal time to prune your trees and shrubbery, aerate the clumped-down grass, fertilize, mulch, and compost your grounds. Go greenhouse-shopping for the seeds and young plantings you want to see sprouting soon. You can even get in some early weeding, an activity you’ll want to keep up until the late fall.
Plants, flowers, and vegetation native to Georgia include the Carolina rose, oakleaf hydrangea, the flowering dogwood, American Berrybeauty, and purple coneflower, among countless others.
Step Four: Inspect and Repair Patio or Deck Areas
You’re indoors now, but eager to get out. Georgia spring temperatures range from lows of 65 F to highs in the low 80s — and the weather is beautiful. Time to enjoy those cultivated lawns and gardens up close. In fact, you’re likely to want to spend the next several months or longer on your patio or deck.
First, make sure your outdoor living space is in prime condition. Did you leave furniture and cushions out over the winter? If so, you’ll want to clean or possibly replace them. Are weeds growing in the spaces between patio bricks? Take care of it. Clean mold from wooden planks and wash down every square inch of space from winter’s long impact.
You might also want to wash or replace rugs and lug out pots and tubs that might soon contain an explosion of vegetation color.
Step Five: HVAC System Refresh, Inside and Out
With spring temperatures getting into the 80s, it’s probably already time for your air conditioning to kick in. Make sure you won’t have any problems with that.
That means replacing filters, checking for drain line obstructions, and wiping clean the outdoor unit. Turn on your AC, then go around to every vent to make sure there’s abundant airflow. Check your thermostat and replace batteries if necessary. Consider scheduling a technician to check the refrigerant level and working condition.
The more you do now in easy seasonal home maintenance on your central air, the more comfortable you’ll be when Georgia hits its summer stride and temperatures get sweltering.
Step Six: Prioritizing the Maintenance of High-Use Appliances
Are you planning on having outdoor barbecues this spring and summer? Well, of course you are. One reason you live in Georgia is because you can so often eat outdoors. Make sure your grill has a fresh propane tank, if that’s what it takes. Clean your unit of winter grime and make sure it works without hassles.
It’s not all fun and games. You also want your washer and dryer and your automatic dishwasher to be in good working condition this spring and beyond. Time to change filters and place the call for help from an expert if any of your appliances make strange sounds or stop working as productively as they should.
Step Seven: Safety Check and Routine Maintenance
As a homeowner, you always have plenty to do, and you can do most of it at any time. But when you put routine safety checks and minor upkeep on your spring home maintenance checklist, you get into the habit of doing it regularly. Those chores and checks simply become a part of your home life that won’t be ignored or forgotten.
Some of those activities include testing and changing the batteries on your smoke and carbon dioxide detectors and replacing light bulbs as necessary. Complete your spring cleaning.
Then, step outside and check your paint job and the condition of the roof. Does your driveway need resealing? How about your exterior lighting? If you have a smart home, make sure all surveillance cameras, motion detectors, and other security features are working properly.
The point is, a once-a-year checkup will keep you and your family feeling safe and secure all year long. It will also help you avoid having to make home insurance claims that might raise your rates.
Step Eight: Decluttering for a Fresh Start
Toss, recycle, and donate. This is at the heart of spring cleaning. It’s a matter of making your home more inviting for yourself, your family, and your guests.
Think carefully about everything that’s taking up valuable space in your surroundings. Mentally examine each object. Do you really need it? When was the last time you used it? Is it just there because it’s always been there, or is there a purpose? Sometimes, an object can be in a place for so long that you no longer really see it.
If it seems too intimidating to review and restore your entire home in this way, reduce the task. Take on a particular closet you’ve been afraid to open for years. Or one room, or one part of the house.
What matters is that, in some ways, large or small, your living spaces will look rejuvenated with your spring cleaning efforts.