Summertime is great for getting round to all those little jobs around the house that you meant to get done. When the weather is hopefully a bit drier, you can get jobs like painting done without worrying about the rain ruining your work. Keeping on top of the little jobs not only makes your home a nicer place to live in, it also helps you to hold value in your home and can prevent costlier jobs that crop up more often if you do not regularly maintain.
So now that some of the nice weather is going to be around for a while, here are some of the jobs that you can be looking to get done:
Decking and fencing
Painting your decking and wooden fencing is a job that cannot be done when the weather is being temperamental, so as soon as you get a weather forecast for a few dry days, make sure you get out in the garden to paint with weather-proof paint to help protect it throughout the winter.
Guttering
Your gutters can cause big problems when left too long, as debris can clog up your guttering and result in water backing up and harming your brickwork and other parts of the house. Getting the guttering cleared at least once a year should prevent serious problems from developing.
Damp proofing
Take time to inspect your home for any signs of damp. There are all kinds of different types of damp, so it helps to know what you are looking for. Signs of damp can be marks on the walls or crumbing paintwork. Dry rot is another problem you need to get treated as soon as possible, with services like https://garrattsdamp.com/dry-rot
Garden
If you have a low maintenance garden then you are very fortunate but if your garden is filled with hedges, trees, ivy etc. then it is a good time to trim and prune, and cut things back to stop your garden from getting out of control. Check that your garden isn’t growing over onto your neighbors’ property or into the public road/pavement. Remove any dead shrubbery and make way for some new plants to brighten the garden up. If you haven’t invested in a water butt to reuse rainwater and learn ways to protect our water in your garden then there has never been a better time to do so.
Grouting
Grouting in your kitchen and bathroom tiles will often need redoing or repairing. It will prevent leaks and look much better when you have fresh grouting around your tiles.
Efficiency audit
Review everything in your home to see if you can make any energy efficiency changes. Change your light bulbs over to most efficient ones and consider having smart meters fitted if you do not already have them. Your appliances might need upgrading or you could switch to a one-cup kettle. Remind the family that they should not be leaving appliances on standby and when it comes to buying a new fridge or washing machine, go for the ones that have the best energy rating. Look for Energy star label.
Think about how much energy you need to use – can you turn that 40-degree wash down to a 30? Do you need to use the tumble dryer or can you manage with hanging your washing out to dry instead?
Windows
Giving your windows a good clean both inside and out will help your house to sparkle. Make sure you use some safe and healthy ways to clean your windows and whole house.. It is also a good time to check them for any damage, particularly if you have older windows or wooden frames that may have some damage. If you do see any damage to wood then you can repair and give a new coat of paint to keep it protected for another year.
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