Your Autumn Maintenance Checklist

By John Schuster

The John Schuster Group has sold over 5,000+ homes and has been the 10-year recipient of #1 Listing Agent with Coldwell Banker Realty statewide.

You have to love living in a state with four distinct seasons! However, owning a home in Minnesota as the season changes to autumn means we only have a couple of months to get our houses ready for the formidable northern winters. Today we’re sharing a checklist of the six things you must do before the snow starts falling.

1. Clean out the gutters. This will help prevent ice dams and wet spots on the ceilings.

2. Shut off all exterior faucets and sprinklers. This prevents breakage; trust us on this one! Unless you want to spend thousands of dollars on repairs in the spring, remember to take care of this (I’ve had to pay those expenses, and I learned my lesson). 

3. Rake leaves and fertilize the lawn. This will prevent dead grass spots, and give your lawn the food it needs to survive the harsh winter. Also, you’ll get to enjoy an attractive green lawn in the spring.

4. Check and seal all exterior gaps or cracks. Unless you like wildlife entering your home, make this a priority.

5. Have a safety check of your furnace and boiler. Call a licensed HVAC contractor for this, and change out your furnace air filter. Identify any potential heating system issues before it’s -10 degrees outside. It’s coming sooner than you think. 

6. Check the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. We’re often cooped up in our houses during the winter, and you need to be safe.

We want you to be protected and keep your home healthy. If you have questions or there’s anything our team can do to help you, please feel free to reach out to us via phone or email. We would love to assist you.