As the season begins to change, it's time to prep your home for falling leaves, cooler weather, and, eventually, winter storms. Tackling a few fall home maintenance tasks now can help ward off issues later in the season, so you can enjoy everything you love about autumn worry-free. 

This week marks the beginning of the FALL of 2021. In some parts of the country, the only suggestion of this shift might be a little cooling and a bit less light. For us in neighborhoods like American University Park, Wakefield, Chevy Chase, Bethesda, and Shepard Park to name a few, the seasonal shift marks the beginning of the approach of Winter. Preparing early for fall and winter is always smart and alleviates last minute problems from cold weather.

Here is a short list of recommendations I send to my clients each year to prepare.

Fall/ Winter Prep.

1. Have you had your heating systems serviced recently? 
2. Paint, caulk and seal exterior surfaces. Fall is the best time of year to do exterior painting.
3. Have a plan to rake and remove leaves if they are not being mulched while mowing (which is better). Leaves piled up over the winter are mostly not good for lawns, driveways and roofs/gutters.
4. When was the last time you had your chimney cleaned? Do you have enough firewood?
5. Change batteries for smoke alarms and smoke detectors or set a date to do so, if your systems are not hard-wired. Remember, DC & Maryland now require Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors with 10 year batteries.
6. Schedule a date to shut down your pool.
7. Schedule a date to shut down irrigation systems and drain exterior pipes/faucets. Mark all shut-off valves clearly for future ease of use.
8. Check your trees for weak or dead limbs that could break easily with the weight of snow/ice/wind and remove them. Don't prune/shape trees until later in Winter.
9. Store all equipment and sharpen tools early for the spring use.
10. Check your home for energy leaks that could reduce your heating bills.
11. Cover or store outdoor furniture.

What else do you need to add to this list? Have I forgotten something that you do on an annual basis this time of year? If so, I'd love to hear about it.

Once your Fall/ Winter preparations are complete, it's then time for my favorite anytime-of-the-year activity, sitting out by the fire pit.