As winter subsides and temperatures increase, here are the essential projects homeowners should take on in 2023 to clean up after a harsh winter and prepare for warmer times. Read on to learn more.
Perform Any Home Repairs Skipped During Winter Months
When the weather is cold outside, climbing onto your roof and cleaning out the gutters is the last thing you want to do. However, once things improve, it’s a different story. Suddenly, getting your ladder out and putting on your DIY attire doesn’t seem so bad.
Therefore, early spring is a great time to do the essential jobs you put off in the winter. These could include:
- Fixing drafty doors and windows
- Painting window frames and exterior walls
- Updating your kitchen to make it more energy efficient
- Cleaning out the guttering
- Fixing broken locks
- Tending to the garden
- Cleaning out the drains
- Insulating the pipes
- Fixing broken gates and fences
- Cleaning windows and screens
Declutter Your Rooms
Spring cleaning wouldn’t be spring cleaning if there wasn’t a little decluttering that needed doing! The months following winter are an excellent opportunity to get the home looking ship-shape again and rescue it from mountains of belongings.
The trick here is to eliminate all the things you no longer use. For instance, you could get rid of the dining table taking up space in your living room or the grandfather clock in your hallway. It’s just dead weight. Likewise, remove clutter, decorations, or shipping boxes from the festive season: you don’t need them anymore. Store them in the attic or sell them online.
You should also rifle through your storage areas and garage. Look for things you don’t need or want anymore and pass them on to a friend or charity store. Avoid the temptation to keep things in storage just because you think you have enough space for them.
Give Your Landscaping A Quick Makeover
You don’t have to dig up your yard and replant everything to make it look great. Simply cleaning your outdoor spaces and making minor alternations can make your home feel more welcoming.
Quick ways to spruce up exteriors include:
- Raking up any dead leaves from your lawn, driveway, or flower beds
- Hanging some new baskets from your porch, balcony, or veranda
- Adding a fresh layer of topsoil and fertilizer to encourage plant growth in February or March
- Reseeding your grass to help it grow strongly over the following year
Give Your Exterior Walls A Lick Of Paint
Renovating your exteriors with a bit of paint can work wonders on your home. A new coat on damaged or discolored trim makes your property look new again.
It’s easier to do during spring, too. Once the weather improves, there’s less chance of rain or wind calling work off.
Limited time? No problem: just focus your paintwork on the most damaged and weather-beaten exterior trim.
Seal Doors And Windows
Sealing doors and windows should be priority number one after the Christmas holidays. It prevents unnecessary heat exchange but, more importantly, protects your property against infestations.
Fortunately, you can do it in the spring, too. This way, you can get the jump of any creatures or creepy crawlies that might want to make their way into your property and call it home.
To seal your home, you can:
- Add rubber door sweeps to the bottom of the door
- Fix gaps between the window frame and the hole they occupy in your wall
- Tighten screws on doors and windows
- Check there are no obvious points of entry on your roof or in the basement
- Ensure you have grates and filters on all your exterior exhaust pipes for lavatories, washing machines, and furnaces
Check For Exterior Damage
Winter can be harsh on home exteriors. Therefore, you’ll want to check for damage to the outside of your property come spring.
Here’s what you should do:
- Look for evidence of damaged siding, including missing panels, and replace them
- Wipe down your home’s exterior, removing mold, mildew, and dirt
- Fix any obvious holes or damage to your roof, chimney stack, or walls immediately
Get Your Air Conditioning Units Serviced
Spring is a great time to get your HVAC serviced and ready for the summer months. You don’t want it failing during the first heatwave.
Always get professionals to service your AC unit. It’s unsafe to maintain it yourself. While crews are on your property, check your ducting for leaks and ensure there are no blockages that could prevent air from moving around. Replace your filters annually.