Now that a lot of the snow has melted - and the latest snow storm seems to have passed us by - it may be a good time to start thinking about some springtime home maintenance projects! Whether you are preparing your home to sell, or you just want to maintain a certain level of curb appeal, here are some items for your to do list:
1. Clear out yard debris. The winter storms may have left branches, leaves, pine needles and other detritus on your lawn.
2. Assess the need for an exterior paint job. Are certain areas of paint bubbling, peeling or cracking? Is the damage localized on one side vs. the entire house? You may be able to get away with just having one side of your house painted, or perhaps just certain areas need to be addressed. Make sure to hire a licensed/insured and experienced house painter (unless you are planning to take this on yourself). A properly prepared and executed paint job will last a good deal longer than a sub-par paint job!
3. Have gutters cleaned out (especially if you didn't have this done in the fall). Assess for any damage to gutters by winter storms or ice damming.
4. Repair cracked windowpanes. As I sit here writing, I hear the wind howling outside! Flying debris can damage windows. Our handyman has repaired individual windowpanes for us and the cost was reasonable. Speak to your realtor about handyman recommendations if this is not work you'd want to take on yourself.
5. This Old House has a great check list for landscape clean up in preparation for springtime as well!
6. If it's still too cold for you outside, here is an exhaustive to-do list for interior spring cleaning, thanks to Martha Stewart.
Happy Cleaning!