10 Ideas to Get Your Home Fall-Ready
Gutter Screening and Cleaning: This is a critical aspect of home maintenance. Bad drainage from a rooftop will result in long-term problems for your basement, eaves and anywhere that standing water can cause issues. Mosquitoes, termites and other insects thrive in a moist environment, as well. Summer is the perfect time to put on a pair of gloves, and grab a bucket and a hose to scoop and flush debris from the gutters.
Paint the Front Door: One of the hottest trends in home renovation is also one of the easiest -- applying a vibrant topcoat to the main entrance of your home. This year top designers and DIYers have gradually been replacing shades of classic red with blues, greens, yellows and even orange tones. For instant curb appeal, take the long summer days as an opportunity to break out your latent brush skills and apply a dose of pop to the exterior doors of your home.
Tend to Your Landscaping: According to the Arbor Day Foundation, fall is the worst possible time to prune back your trees and shrubs due to accelerated fungi production as the seasons change; and summer isn't a bad option for visually seeing dead parts of the plants surrounding your home. Take a good look at the structure, health and overall appearance of your yard and do the maintenance in the middle of the year. Or hire a professional to do the work for you.
Consider a Budget-Friendly Interior Design Refresh: Having an interior you love can improve your mood dramatically. Haven't ever hung those pictures you've been meaning to frame for months (maybe years)? Is your living room devoid of furniture? Does your home office need better lighting? With the heat keeping you indoors, now's as good a time as any to address such concerns. If you don't have the funds for an interior designer, there are plenty of websites and virtual designers that can help you get started for free (or a nominal fee). Once the groundwork has been laid, check out your favorite homes stores, or even local secondhand shops, for materials to complete the project.
Accessorize Your Yard. Fall is ideal for utilizing seasonal elements like gourds or scarecrows for an all-natural yard design. Spending the summer with your kids doing home art projects will inspire them to help out when the real magic happens and seasonal DIY ingredients begin to hit the farmers' markets or holiday popup shops.
Clean Out Your Garage: Who wants to organize when it's below freezing outside? Use the warmer weather to purge the clutter that's accumulated in your storage spaces and air it out. Moisture, bugs, cobwebs, and just plain dust piles are easier to deal with when the sun shines for 14 hours a day. As a bonus, you'll have time to put everything back in the garage before nightfall.
Get Your Furnace or Heat Pump Serviced: HVAC companies are typically very busy in the summertime fixing neglected air conditioners that break down right when consumers need them the most. Almost all of the issues that cause breakdowns of cooling/heating systems are entirely preventable by having a professional service them twice a year. It might take a little longer to get a technician out to your home in the summer, but you'll be glad you did when the first chilly frosts come sweeping through in the fall.
Have Your Roof Checked: Did summer storms or snow from last winter damage any shingles? In many areas of the country, hail is also a hidden roof killer that only shows itself when the temperature begins to shift and roof tiles start to flex. If your home has experienced severe weather recently, have a local roofer survey any potential damage and fix it before the colder months set in.
Insulate Your Home: If your house isn't properly insulated, it's time to remedy that. You can DIY with caulking or weather seals on the outside, roll out fiberglass insulation in the attic, or, better yet, hire a professional to come in and blow in fiberglass, cellulose or spray-foam insulation. The choice and options available for sealing your home from the elements depend entirely on budget, with fiberglass being the cheapest route.
Ready Your Home for Halloween. Check out a craft store for holiday accents in your home and start perusing the local thrift stores for costume inspiration. Getting a head start on planning a thoughtful outfit for your trick-or-treating minions (or your own partying self) saves the hassle and stress of sorting through cheap celebrity or carnival masks at the local Halloween popup store.
Image from Home Depot