Seasonal Home Maintenance Checklist (free PDF)

Benjamin Franklin once said; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. There’s no substitute for good home maintenance. This seasonal home maintenance checklist will help keep you on track and your home in tip top shape.

Since moving into our new home it’s easy to let things slip by, especially since all systems and everything is new. I wanted to create a checklist that would help us keep track of home maintenance tasks. And of course, I’m sharing it with you.

What is Home Maintenance?

You might wonder what exactly that term means. Home Maintenance is any task related to security, electrical, appliance, heating, and cooling. It’s not as fun as decorating (in my opinion) but it’s so important.

Maintaining your home properly throughout the year can help reduce allergens and prevent illness and injury from accidents. It will also save a boatload of money in the long run, since you can catch little issues before they become big ones.

I’ve included things you should do monthly, and also things you should do in the Fall and in the Spring. Depending on your home and where you live, things may have to be done more frequently or less frequently. You can print this out and refer back to it to help jog your memory.

How to get your Home Tasks Done

Pick one Saturday or Sunday and get to work! Enlist family members, especially kids, to help. It’s a good way to teach them about what goes into keeping a safe and clean home. Your home and family will thank you!

Monthly Maintenance

Here are some of the home tasks you should be doing on a monthly basis.

• Clean or replace A/C filters.
• Clean and Empty Dehumidifier.
• Vacuum air vents. 
• Clean out the dryer vent.
• Clean kitchen stove vent hood and filters.
• Deep clean appliances such as dishwasher, microwave, oven, stove.
• Dust and clean baseboards and moldings and fans.
• Disinfect doorknobs, light fixtures, cabinet knobs, and remote controls.  
• Clean the garbage disposal. 
• Clean out bathroom exhaust fans.
• Wash shower curtains and liners. 
• Clean Washing Machine (auto-clean cycle or Affresh tablet).
• Clean the front of kitchen cabinets. 
• Deep clean sofas, chairs, and vacuum upholstery. 
• Magic Erase dirty walls, scuffs, and fingerprint marks.
• Condition leather furniture. 
• Shake out rugs. 
• Clean the inside of trash cans and recycle bins. 
• Sweep porch, patio, and decks. 
• Ensure that smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers are in good working order. 

Seasonal Home Maintenance Checklist

Fall

• Clean gutters and ensure downspouts are pointing away from the house.
• Replace the furnace filter.  
• Inspect air ducts and clean as necessary.
• Change the direction of your ceiling fans.
• Inspect and service HVAC.  
• Replace batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.  
• Have chimney and fireplace professionally cleaned and serviced.  
• Clean air ducts.  
• Rake leaves, aerate, fertilize and reseed your lawn.  
• Prune Trees and Shrubs.  
• Cut down limbs or branches that are near power lines or your roof.  
• Install weather stripping or caulking around windows as needed.  
• Replace summer screens with storm doors and remove window A/C units.
• Clean out the Grill.  
• Wash windows.  
• Clean out Flower beds.
• Service snow blower, buy some salt, and make sure you have snow shovels.
• Inspect Roof, Siding, and around skylights.  
• Check around windows and doors and reseal as necessary.
• Cover and store outdoor patio furniture.
• Drain hoses and irrigation lines and shut off the water supply to exterior faucets.  
• Clean Garden Tools, drain gas from powered lawn equipment.  
• Bring potted plants indoors.

Spring

• Service air conditioning system. 
• Inspect and replace caulking around your home (bathroom, windows, doors, and more.)
• Inspect appliance water lines.    
• Change the direction of your ceiling fans.
• Clean out gutters and downspouts from winter. 
• Powerwash siding, patios, windows, and exterior walls.  
• Refinish your deck or patio and reseal exterior woodwork.  
• Wash windows. 
• Replace batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. 
• Replace storm windows and doors with summer screens.
• Spring Clean your home.  
• Inspect attic insulation and check for leaks and pests while you’re up there.
• Have an inspection by a professional pest control company.   
• Inspect driveways and sidewalks and make necessary repairs after winter.  
• Turn on the water supply to exterior faucets.
• Clean out flower beds and weed, feed, and mulch.  
• Touch up paint in your house (use a handy paint pail.)

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Some of my favorite products for maintaining your home.

Thanks for visiting the blog today!

xo Karen