Your Spring Home Maintenance Checklist & Special Offer

Your Spring Home Maintenance Checklist

The cold winds and the heavy downpours easing off over the islands can mean only one thing, spring is finally here! By now you’re probably starting to leave your heavy jacket at home while you’re out and about in the warm spring sunshine, rejoicing that this year’s particularly bad winter is over. With the beginning of spring comes the opportunity to prepare your home for the upcoming months. Is your home ready for spring? Read on to discover a handy list of to-dos that you can carry out to make sure it is!

Exterior

Over the last few months, the exterior of your home has taken the brunt of everything winter has thrown at us so it’s best to start here before you prepare the inside of your abode.

1. Inspect the Roof

Taking some time to make sure your roof is in good condition is essential to avoid any structural damage to your home. If you have direct access to your roof, check for any areas that appear to have accumulated pools of water over the winter. If you find any areas with water markings and noticeable cracks, you should call a professional to repair it immediately.

2. Check Seals around Windows and Doors

The caulk around doors and windows can harden or come loose over the winter so it’s important to check and replace any that isn’t doing its job properly. After all, you don’t want any unwanted water, or insects, creeping into your home.

3. Paint over any Cracked or Peeling Paint

When wood is directly exposed to the elements it becomes more susceptible to rotting. Remove any chipped or damaged paint from all your outdoor wooden fixtures with a pressure hose or a scraper. Next, set aside a warm evening, paintbrush in one hand, a can of paint in the other and a cold drink within reach and apply a new layer of paint to everything.

4. Repair any Cracks in Your Driveway

Have you noticed any cracks appearing in your driveway over the last few months? Well now is the time to take care of them. Start by cleaning out all the debris from the crack with a high-pressure hose and a rough brush. For a cement driveway take a small amount of concrete sealer and compress it with a trowel.

Interior

Once you’ve taken care of the outside of your home, you can shift your focus towards interior maintenance.

1. Service Your Air Conditioning

Start off by checking the air filter and giving it a thorough cleaning or, if you use disposables, change it for a new one. Not only will this keep you cooler in the heat but it will save you a pretty penny too. Also, make sure everything is in working order and have it serviced if needs be. It’s better getting this done now and eliminating any risk of your AC breaking in the summer, reducing you to a puddle of sweat!

2. Test Your Smoke Alarms and Fire Extinguisher

This is something that should be done on a regular basis but is unintentionally overlooked by many people. Why not add this to your spring maintenance checklist to ensure you don’t forget about it? For your fire alarms, it’s best to just replace the batteries every time you check them. For your fire extinguisher, start by checking that the locking pin is still in place, next check for any damage or leakages, make sure the instructions are visible and, finally, check the date to make sure it’s still useable. It’s also a good idea to take note of the date you checked it on for future reference.

3. Drain Your Water Heater

Over time, sediment and mineral deposits will find their way into your water heater. Draining it will remove this build-up and will increase its lifespan and efficiency, saving you money in the long-run. If you increased the water temperature during the winter months, now is the time to lower it again to save energy and reduce your bills.

4. Spring Cleaning

This one may seem a bit obvious, but there’s nothing better than giving your home a detailed scrub after the winter months. Declutter your wardrobe, dust down your fans and clean those spaces you never thought needed cleaning. Instead of using chemical cleaning products, why not go green and make some of your own? Household items such as baking soda and vinegar can make for some effective DIY cleaning products.

This should be more than enough to keep you busy improving your home in the springtime. The only thing left to do is give yourself peace of mind knowing that your hard work has all been worth it with home insurance from Laferla. Save today. Receive 12 months home insurance cover and only pay for 10 today. Discover more.