It’s never a bad time to take stock of the condition of your home and spend some time tackling various home maintenance projects, especially if you intend to list your home soon. These tasks can build up during the year, so to help you keep them top of mind, HelloProject shares some tips on how to freshen up your home from the inside out. 

Make a list of items to check

People often lose track of when they last tackled certain major home maintenance issues. Creating a list and addressing these tasks can ensure this is a regular, annual occurrence. For example, now is a great time to replace your furnace air filters. This can be especially helpful to ensure you have fewer allergens circulating through the air in your home. Now is also a great time to clean out your gutters and assess drainage areas.  Ignoring debris in your gutters can create basement water issues, or you could end up with foundation problems or rot and mold.

Inspect your home’s exterior for repair issues

Depending on where your home is, you may need to check on shutters and generators, and you should also take a look at your exterior siding and roofing. Inspect your home’s exterior to look for holes that could provide an entry point for mice, insects or other critters, and replace any loose or worn weather stripping.

Other outdoor tasks include checking your air conditioning unit, vents, and foundation, as well as landscape maintenance like trimming back overgrown foliage. Realtor.com adds that your deck may need some care too, and to inspect the caulking around all of your doors and windows, and look for cracks in your sidewalks or driveway that need repair.

Indoor maintenance projects to consider

In terms of indoor home maintenance projects, Country Living encourages homeowners to check all of the smoke detectors and replace the batteries, or entire units, as needed. If you want to incorporate some eco-friendly changes to your home, this can also be a great time to upgrade lighting to more sustainable options and to gauge your thermostat settings to ensure things are working properly and are set conservatively for the season and the best energy usage.

This could be a great opportunity to revamp your home office as well. Be sure to track your improvements and save your receipts as you may be able to take deductions come tax season. Whether you’re building out a new space, adding new flooring, or making cosmetic upgrades like painting, prioritize improvements that inspire productivity and focus.  

The process of sprucing up the inside and outside of your home, as well as any home systems, can be a major undertaking. But these tasks are well worth the effort. Taking time to evaluate issues and make updates and repairs will get you on track for any season, and can even provide a bit of a value boost for your home that will come in handy when the time comes to list your home. 

Some home maintenance projects are best left to a professional. When you need to rely on an expert, turn to HelloProject to get matched with a home improvement contractor who meets your specific needs. Check us out today!