Property Maintenance Through The Seasons

Holding the Fort A Seasonal Guide to Sorting Out Your Stuff Sphing Cleaning "Look at all these magazines I found under Bobby's bed!" dunk Why not start the season with a traditional spring clean? Throw out any unwanted items acquired over the holiday season, donate items to charity, and attempt to de-clutter your home. "I really should get a hobby." At the earliest opportunity, head outside and inspect your property. Look for loose tiles, broken gutters, damaged fences or cracked paving stones. Repair these problems immediately. "Choo Choooo!" Start planning your garden. Bring out your garden furniture and inspect it to make sure it is in a good state of repair. Stock up on any gardening or DIY tools before the "DIY Season" begins and prices increase. Summer Maintenance "If I do a second-rate job, maybe Mary won't ask me to do it again!" The summer is a great time for outdoor jobs, such as re-painting your front door, or painting the house. You should also consider cleaning and repairing your decking and patio. "Ronnie will be so pleased I cleared out his den!" Useless Rubbish Clean out the garage; throw out anything you aren't using, and put items other items into storage. This will give you more space to work and prevent the garage from becoming a health and safety (or fire) hazard. "Shears!" Make the most of the good weather by working on your garden, trimming trees and cutting back shrubs. Consult a qualified gardener or tree surgeon if you have doubts about how to care for the trees in your garden. Autumn dobs "When Janice sees the shine I've worked up on this she's bound to take me back!" At the beginning of autumn, clean your barbecue and bring it indoors. Garden furniture should also be cleaned and put in storage. "Dammit Frank, notice me!" At the end of autumn, wash your decking and take advantage of a clear day to repair/repaint or winterise it. Also, take a moment to clean out your gutters to ensure that they drain freely and are not full of leaves. "I have no idea what I'm about to do.." In preparation for winter, turn on the anti-freezing feature on your boiler, so that the water in the pipes is always kept above freezing. Winter Maintenance “This would be so much easier if this wasn't a toy hammer " Winter is a good time for indoor jobs, such as deep cleaning the basement, cleaning your taps, tightening up loose screws, fixing broken door handles and generally touching up the inside of your property. "Oh, Marvin. you fixed it!" Test your electricity – make sure that all the outlets work. Read your meter and check your bills are in line with what you are using. Any discrepancies should be dealt with before the holiday season begins. "Darling, that looks. dreadful!" Spend a few days de-cluttering before the holiday season begins. Sources: www.artofmanliness.com frugalliving.about.com www.thisoldhouse.com lifehacker.com VIBRANTdoors www.vibrantdoors.co.uk