Getting Your Home Spring Ready Inside and Out

As a homeowner you have the exciting responsibility of maintaining your home to protect your investment. With Winter past us, now is the perfect time to “Spring” into action and get prepared for the nicer weather right around the corner. The more time you spend on fixing those Winter niggles, and preparing the outside for warmer weather now, the more money you’ll save in the long run. 

This Blog will take you through 3 main points of focus, so it doesn’t become too overwhelming. Don’t worry, you’ll be sitting back and sipping on a Gin and Tonic or Sam Adams before Spring even arrives!

Home Sweet Home – Maintenance Tips to Prepare for Spring

Spring cleaning can be daunting. Check out this list of MUSTS before getting into too much of a panic!

1. Clean Gutters & Downspouts – During the winter months these can get clogged with the last of the leaves as well as other debris. Grab a ladder (and an extra pair of sturdy hands) and fish out any clogs. Flush the downspouts with water from a hose – be sure to check that your spouts are funneling water at least 5 ft away from the house. 
2. Scrub Walls, Baseboards and outlets – get the hard work out of the way early. It’s never a fun job, but a bucket of hot soapy water will do the trick just fine. 
3. Replace ALL the filters in your home. This can include water, range hood and air vents as well as your Heating and AC Filters. Don’t miss this step as you’ll undo all your hard soapy work scrubbing!
4. Soak faucets and shower heads in a vinegar solution to get rid of any lime or grime build up. 
5. Clean out the dryer vent. This takes a little bit of muscle to shift your dryer so you can access the vent in the back. Remove the connection and use a special lint remover brush or other means from both the inside and the outside connection. 
6. Wash Exterior Windows – it’s about to be beautiful outside, so don’t settle for smudgy windows this Spring. 
7. Keep Allergens away by decluttering and checking pipes for leaks. Leaky pipes are a feeding ground for mold so be thorough with your checks. 
8. Have a Crawlspace? Check your foundation vents for damages or clogs that might affect air circulation o r allow critters/rodents to enter your space. 
9. Clean your Grill! More than likely this has been left covered through winter, but it will still need a tune up to prolong it’s life. Check out these cleaning tips -> https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/maintenance-and-repair/repairing/easy-maintenance-tips-for-grills
10. Test smoke alarms and CO detectors – it’s cheap to change a battery that could help save a life!
11. Last but not least – clean that outside furniture as it’s time to get some fresh air!! 

Thinking about selling? Here are 10 easy ways to ensure your house and yard are ready to get top dollar this Spring!

But What about the Yard? 

As it begins to warm up, the long awaited Summer grass will spring back to it’s lush green nature. However, in order to get your yard looking tip top over Summer it’s time to start preparing the soil. 

1. Before cleaning the grass and beds of debris built up over the Winter months, now is a great time to trim those dead branches. With no leaves on the trees, it makes it easier to identify which branches are dead and easier to dispose of. Plus, why not make the mess prior to cleaning up – it only makes sense!
2. Next  step to a healthy yard is to clean it of debris that may have fallen over the winter months. Any loose leaves, twigs, branches, pine cones etc. all block valuable sunlight as the grass revives itself. 
3. Fertilizer, Preemergent and Weed Killer – Early on use a combo of Fertilizer (feeds the soil) and pre-emergent (herbicide used to prevent crabgrass). Then 6-8 weeks later, apply both products along with a broadleaf weed killer to prevent crabgrass from becoming a Summer long issue.
4. Mow Early & Often – lots of people make the mistake of letting the grass grow before cutting it. In actuality this stunts the growth of the grass at the roots. You should instead mow every 5 days during the first 6 weeks of Spring. This will make the grass thicker and healthier – award winning by all standards!
5. Quality Mulch – once you’ve cared for your lawn it’s time to edge out the beds, trim back branches and shrubs, and replace the mulch. Try hardwood bark mulches over ground wood chips, as they’ll last longer and have a natural coloring as opposed to dyed. 
6. DON’T SEED UNTIL FALL! If you notice brown patches in your lawn, don’t make the mistake of wasting time and money on seed. As you’ve been treating the soil over the past 6 or so weeks with pre-emergence followed by weed killer, the seeds will not germinate. Instead treat the soil with fertilizer and you’ll generate new fresh shoots. 

Plan your Patch!

Gardening shouldn’t start in Spring – the best gardens are worked on in the run up with soil preparation and indoor seedling germination trays. Does this all sound a little alien?! Here’s a little step by step for getting the best garden award at your first attempt!

1. Start an at home compost system to support your garden. Why? It’s a fantastic natural way of fertilizing your soil, without buying additional fertilizer. Saving money and the environment at the same time by cutting down on waste heading to landfill sites = HAPPY EARTH!
2. Garden clean up – as mentioned in the lawn tips above, you’ll want to remove debris and weeds from your allotted garden area. TOP TIP: Wait for dry soil before pulling weeds – you’ll prevent damaging the soil structure and it’s a LOT easier!
3. Start those seedlings inside. In the early days before Spring, the GA weather can be unpredictable, 70s one minute and 30s the next. You’ll want to get a germination tray, some good quality potting soil, and sow your seeds in a warm, bright room moistening the soil regularly. And as always, read the back of the packets for the best results! When you’re ready to introduce the seedlings outside, start off by bringing them out during the day and back inside as it cools off. This will help them get acclimated to the outdoors.
4. Water isn’t Free – BUT it can be! Start collecting rainwater ready for the long hot Summer months ahead. Not only will this save you money on your water bill, but it’s a lot better for the plants than regular tap water which can contain toxins. High demand for water over the dry months forces water companies to tap into groundwater reserves and streams, which is harmful to the environment and more expensive. Save money and the planet this Summer! 

And there we have it – a comprehensive list for getting your inside and outside ready for Spring! Preparation is key, but it’s nothing to stress over. Make short lists over this next month to tackle your biggest issues, and before you know it you’ll be ahead of the game, enjoying a clean house, fresh yard and flourishing garden. For the WIN!