Autumn tends to bring chilly, wet weather with it. After 3 months of scorching, dry heat, that’s a big difference for your house to cope with! And with winter on the way soon after, the weather extremes are only going to get worse. Which makes September, and early October, the perfect time to get a few things done around your property.
If you want to keep cozy for Christmas, get the work done early so you can relax! Plus, the more you prepare for harder times ahead, the less money you’ll have to spend on emergency repairs.
Declutter the Guttering
As a pre-winter job, you’ll want to do this maybe 3 or 4 times before the season hits. After all, plenty of falling leaves can get stuck in gutters time and time again, and you wouldn’t want to put the ladder away and take your gloves off before making sure all blockages are dealt with! Once a month is a good schedule for a gutter clearance, especially if you’ve had problems with this particular area of your home before. Dispose of the leaves either in your compost heap, make leaf mould, set them alight, or take them to an organic garbage center.
Check Your Hot Water Stream
You’re going to need hot water for the winter, and plenty of it! If you’ve got a hot water tank in your home, double check its integrity by using a hot water tank repair service. You don’t want an emergency callout for cold showers and bad radiator coverage at the end of the year – on average it could cost you $100 more than a callout during the summer. Get the work done now and await Christmas with a hardy peace of mind.
Rake the Garden
Just like the guttering, the garden is going to get covered in fallen leaves and all kinds of other debris. To ensure it doesn’t mulch down into rotting patches and make your soil all the worse for it, rake it up and again, put it into a compost heap. Make sure this heap is either covered or placed out of the way of the worst of the weather, as you want some healthy fertilizer to use once the spring comes along.
Set Up Pest Defenses
All kinds of pests are going to come inside as it gets colder, looking for somewhere dry and warm to nest. And while it’s fine to have a spider or two in the corner, you don’t want a huge ant, wasp, or arachnid infestation. If you don’t already, be sure to know the signs you’re looking out for, as early warning droppings, marks on the floor or walls, and mess behind the furniture are the furthest these pest problems should ever go.
The pre-winter season is the perfect time to get certain annoying tasks done. If they’re out of the way long before any festivities start, you’ve got a very good chance of having a quiet and peaceful Christmas!