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Fall Home Maintenance Checklist: 10 Ways to Care for Your House This Season

Updated: Sep 16

The season of cozy bonfires and colorful landscapes is fast approaching. Start preparing your house for the frigid temperatures now!


styled fall photoshoot with pumpkin, blanket, and book

If you don’t know where to start when it comes to caring for your home in the upcoming chilly season, our fall home maintenance checklist is here to help.


While you may be planning to log plenty of hours outside soaking up the beauty of fall, it’s no secret that this time of year also marks the transition to spending more time indoors. As the setting of holiday parties and long evenings spent with a hot drink in hand, you’ll want to make sure your home is in shape.


Additionally, cold weather is often hard on houses. So, don’t make it fend for itself – take some simple steps to ensure your home is ready to face the frost!


Keep reading to decide what you need to put on your own fall home maintenance checklist.


1. Clean Your Windows

Fall is the perfect time to wash away any residue left on your windows from summer, such as pollen or insects. This will prevent it from building up and making window cleaning harder in the next season – when the fallen leaves have added more grime to your windows.


Good to Know: Speaking of windows, it’s a good idea to check to see if any of the weather stripping around your windows is damaged before the temperatures drop. Replacing these will help ensure that the cold air stays out and the warm air stays in.


Looking to hire a pro so you don’t have to worry about this step? Skip the Google search for “window cleaning near me” and contact Services By Bright!


2. Elevate Your Home With Landscape Lighting

If you feel like your home needs a little update but you’re not sure what to do, landscape lighting may do the trick. This is a great way to accentuate your home and landscaping once the leaves have fallen and the trees are left bare. 


Additionally, landscape lighting is the perfect way to set the mood for your fall parties. Light up your home in all the right places to impress your guests! Bright landscape lighting can provide ample illumination, while dimmer landscape lighting can create the perfect cozy atmosphere.


fall landscape with colorful trees on the sides of a river

3. Wash Your Driveway and House

Pressure washing is perfect for your driveway and sidewalk, while soft washing is better for your house. There may be more dirt and grime built up on these surfaces than you realize! Once it’s all gone, you’ll feel like you have a whole new place.


Moreover, pressure washing can remove mold and mildew which could increase due to damp conditions in the colder months.


When it comes to pressure washing, Springfield, MO, has a great selection of professionals ready to take this task off your hand. Services By Bright is a reputable company here to help you get this done. Simply request a quote to get the ball rolling today!


Good to Know: Pressure washing can remove built-up leaves or algae on your driveway, which can contribute to more slippery conditions. To prevent falls, it’s important to clean your concrete.


4. Clean Your Gutters

Fall is the prime time for clogged gutters and downspouts, since leaves will be falling all season long. This becomes especially important in the winter when clogged gutters prevent rain and melting snow from draining properly.


Additionally, unchecked water can lead to a slew of problems for houses. To prevent the issues clogged gutters may cause, simply clean your gutters in the fall! 


Local gutter cleaning services, like Services By Bright, can get this done for you in a jiffy.


a dog sitting next to 3 pumpkins

5. Cover Your Outdoor Furniture

You may still be enjoying your outdoor furniture at the beginning of fall – especially for outdoor gatherings. However, you’ll want to make sure it’s covered in time for the first frost.


It’s no surprise that moisture can wreak havoc on furniture. When spring and summer roll around again, you’ll be so glad you spared yourself from spending the big bucks to replace it.


6. Prune Your Hedges

Fall is a great time to prune your hedges – with a caveat. You’ll want to wait until all the leaves have fallen and they are completely dormant. So, depending on where you live, winter might be a better time.


Pruning too soon can cause new growth that won’t have time to harden before the first frost, which weakens the plant.


Pruning at the right time, however, can lead to more luscious growth in the spring.


Good to Know: It’s best to wait for a crisp, sunny day to do any pruning. Wet conditions can cause disease to spread more easily.


a bunch of pumpkins

7. Fertilize Your Yard

An essential step in getting your home ready for the colder months is fertilizing your yard. This will refresh it after the harsh sun of summer and prepare it to endure the harsh conditions of winter. Additionally, the dewy conditions of fall make fertilizer more readily absorbed.


Make sure you get it done two to three weeks before the ground freezes. When spring returns, you’ll be all set to enjoy a thriving, green yard!


8. Set Up Lawn Care for Next Year

With the grass beginning to die in the fall, you probably don’t have mowing on the brain. 


However, when it comes to lawn care, Springfield, MO and its surrounding areas are home to mowing companies that allow you to schedule your mowing for next year right now – often at a discount, too. 


Take care of this before the year even ends to ensure a smooth transition from winter to spring!


an old-fashioned, blue truck with pumpkins and lights in the background

9. Plant Flowers for Spring

Additionally, another step you can take in the fall to prepare for spring is to plant flowers. Gardens teeming with vibrant blooms are typically well-planned – months before the colorful payoff. 


The lineup of flowers to plant in the fall includes tulips, mums, and coneflowers, among many others.


10. Get on the Schedule for JellyFish Permanent Lighting

While we’re on the topic of thinking ahead, fall is a great time to act if you’re considering JellyFish permanent lighting. Services By Bright serves as the only local authorized installer. Since our schedule fills up quickly, it’s a great idea to get on the books now!


Show off on every holiday and game day – and all the outdoor events in between – with JellyFish permanent lighting! It’s fully customizable from an app on your phone.


So, whether you’re opting for lighting installed directly on your house or bistro lighting installed across your porch or pool, you can customize every light to fit any color scheme your heart desires.


landscape of colorful fall trees reflecting on a river

Now It’s Time to Check off Your Fall Home Maintenance Checklist!

Get started preparing your home for fall now so you’ll have more time to enjoy this beautiful season later on!


If this property maintenance checklist is starting to sound burdensome, why not hire a pro? Bright services run the gamut from gutter cleaning to lawn fertilization.


If your budget is tight (Christmas shopping is around the corner!), consider hiring someone to do the tasks that sound the most dreaded, then do the rest yourself. 


Whether you decide to hand your fall home maintenance list over to the professionals, want to take a DIY approach, or a little of both, don’t forget to take some time to bask in the wonder of autumn!


Good to Know: Are you planning to hire a professional to install Christmas lights for you this fall? Now is the time to schedule your installation, before spots fill up!


Which Task Do You Think is Most Crucial to Care for Your House in the Fall?

Is it a task on this list? Something else? Tell us about your tried-and-true fall home maintenance routine in the comments!

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