A Weekend Guide To Preparing Your Home For Autumn

Autumn can be a lovely time of the year - yes, the days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder, but that’s not always going to be unpleasant, and if your home is nice and cozy, it’s actually a really lovely time, assuming you’ve prepared your home ready for the new season. If not, you might find you’ve got all kinds of jobs that suddenly have to get done in an emergency, making autumn expensive and stressful rather than fun and relaxing. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few of the things you’ll need to do to prepare your home for autumn, and you’ll be pleased to know that at least most of them can be done over the course of a weekend, making the job far less overwhelming than it might seem at first. Read on to find out more. 

Photo by Sarbjeet Singh

Check And Clean the Gutters

One of the most important things you’re going to have to tackle as autumn creeps closer is cleaning out your gutters - not doing it could lead to a lot of issues that you’re really not going to want to have to deal with, and since checking them and cleaning them is a relatively simple thing to do, it’s definitely the best option. If not, you’ll get them all clogged up with leaves as they start to fall, and that’s going to clog the gutters leading to water damage, mold, and potentially even problems with your foundations - nightmare! 

Start by carefully checking the gutters using a ladder to get up close to them (and always make sure the ladder is totally secure - ideally get a friend or family member to hold it as you climb for extra support). Once you’re up there, scoop out any leaves, twigs, and other debris using a trowel (or you can buy a gutter scoop, which is specifically designed for the job), and then flush the gutters with a hose to make sure water can run freely because that’s the point of doing this job after all. 

It’s also a good idea to check the gutters for any damage while you’re up there - if you spot any rust, cracks, or loose brackets it’s wise to fix the issues sooner rather than later.  Seal Windows and Doors

If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed with autumn it’s that sooner or later, the outside temperature is going to drop, and when that happens, you’ll want to keep the indoor temperature as stable and pleasant as possible - that’s where you might need to do a little work to ensure it happens. One great option to keep the warm air inside and the chilly, crisp air outside where you can enjoy it if you want to is to seal your windows and doors; it’s an easy way to improve your home’s energy efficiency and keep it cozy during the colder, darker seasons, so it really should be on your to-do list. 

The best thing to do first is to check all your windows and doors for drafts, and if you want to make sure that’s an easy thing to do, wait for a windy day and then run your hand around the edges of the doors and windows - can you feel any cold air coming in? If so, you’ve got a draft and that draft needs to be sealed up, which isn’t a tricky job to do at all. You can invest in some weatherstripping from any hardware store or DIY center and just apply it around the edges where there’s a draft, but if there are larger cracks, you’ll probably need caulk instead - in fact, if the gap is really big, it might be better to get an expert to repair it or replace the window or door if that makes more sense.

Tidy Up Your Backyard

As much as we all hate to say goodbye to spending time in the garden, the cozy feeling of autumn really can’t be beaten, so don’t feel too bad about it - just make sure you tidy the backyard up before you head inside for a few months so that when springs comes around, there’s less work to do out there and you can enjoy it sooner. 

There are sure to be plenty of fallen leaves in your backyard when autumn comes, and that’s a problem you’ll need to deal with - rake them up and, ideally, add them to your compost heap. It’s also a great time to clear out any dead plants from your flower beds, and you might even want to plant some autumn flowers while you’re out there. Plus, don’t forget the lawn - give it one last mow with your battery powered lawn mower before the frost gets to it and it’ll be far healthier and easier to deal with next year.

Clean And Inspect The Fireplace 

There’s really nothing like it - a roaring fire to sit by when the summer’s gone and the winter’s on its way, and if you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace in your home, you’ll probably enjoy making the most of it when the temperature drops. However, there are a few safety measures to think about before you light the first fire of the year, and we’re not just talking about general fire safety (which is definitely important to think about, of course), we’re talking about the fact that you’ll need to clean your fireplace and chimney first because there could be all sorts of things in it that would cause a fire, lots of smoke, or other dangerous results. 

If you’ve not already done it, make sure you remove all the old ashes and debris from the fire and then check out the chimney for any blockages like birds nests which can be an issue. You might also have a bit of a build-up of creosote which is highly flammable and can cause a chimney fire, which is another reason to take a look - it’s often wise to hire a professional chimney sweep for this bit, just to make sure it’s done properly - it’s far safer that way.