If you’re a homeowner, then you’re probably familiar with winterizing your home, a process that includes things like scheduling a furnace check and sealing your windows and doors against drafts. But did you know that there are things that you should be doing in advance of warmer weather, too? Making sure to properly prep a home for summer can help you cool your space more efficiently—and get yourself ahead of seasonal dust and allergies.
Here are ten things that you can do to get your home ready for the summer months ahead so that you when they get here you can sit back, relax, and soak in all that much-earned sunshine.
- Do your spring cleaning
One of the very best things that you can do prep a home for summer weather is to actually tackle that long spring cleaning list.There’s a reason that many homeowners choose to do an all-out deep clean in the spring. Lots of dust accumulates in the winter, when homes are generally closed off to outside air. With spring—and soon summer—weather however comes a renewed sense of energy, plus extra sunlight for spotting all of that built up debris.Your exact spring cleaning checklist may vary, but in general, it’s about freshening up all of those things that you don’t usually get to in routine cleanings. This includes:- Vacuuming curtains and blinds
- Washing your windows inside and out, including window trim and sills
- Dusting off indoor and outdoor light fixtures and bulbs
- Disinfecting surfaces such your stair rail, light switches, and cabinet hardware
- Cleaning out your dryer ventAs a good rule of thumb as you go through your home, dust first and vacuum and sweep last so that you pick up whatever has fallen off.
- Do some routine HVAC maintenance
HVAC systems have a big job coming up, so another thing that you’re going to want to do when it comes to how prep a home for summer is to make sure that it’s running at its best.Summer is prime time for seasonal allergies, so make sure that your air filter is clean and ready to go. Whether or not it’s time for a full replacement will depend on what type of filter you have and when the last time you swapped it out was, keeping in mind that most filters need to be replaced every 90 days.Other important steps for pre-summer HVAC maintenance include making sure that any visible areas around the indoor and outdoor components of your system are totally free from debris and clutter (you’ll want to have about two feet of free space around each component). Now is also the time to turn off water to the furnace humidifier—you’ll switch it back on in the fall. - Check your thermostat
You don’t want to wait until the first heat wave hits to find out that your home’s thermostat isn’t working right.Put your thermostat on AC mode and turn on air that’s five degrees cooler than what your home is already at. You should hear your system kick into gear and should be able to feel cool air pumping out of the air vents. If the air flow is restricted in any way, that’s a sign that something is amiss.If it’s time for an upgrade, now would be a good time to make the change to a smart thermostat. Not only will a new system give you assurance that everything is working as it should (assuming you don’t have any venting issues), it could also help you save about 15% on your summer cooling bills. - Start rotating your ceiling fans counterclockwise
You want your ceiling fan to run counterclockwise in the summer, which allows it to push down cool air instead of vice versa. Rotating your fans in this direction also helps draw moisture out of the air, which is good news if you live in a high humidity climate.In general, you always want your ceiling fans to be running counterclockwise any time that you’re also running your air conditioning. This will allow you to cool your home more efficiently, including turning your AC up a few degrees. Run fans at a low speed, which will provide a comfortable downdraft and help redistribute cool air throughout the room. - Adjust your return registers
Another way to prep a home for summer is to switch the direction of your return registers—i.e. the return heating and cooling events located near the ceilings and floors of your house. (Note: they’re usually a bit larger than normal vents, which should make them easy to distinguish).In the summer months, you want your registers to draw in warm air and leave cool air behind. You can help ensure that they’re doing this by opening up your ceiling registers and closing your floor registers, which will in turn optimize the flow of air throughout your home. - Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
Even if you’re not hearing that unwelcome chirping noise yet, it’s still a good idea to test out your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors as you prep a home for summer. That’s because in addition to low batteries, accumulated dust could also inhibit these crucial detectors from working correctly, and it’s always better to address that sooner rather than later.Test your alarms and give them a good dusting. And if it’s time to change the batteries, be sure to do that now as well. - Take a look at your gutters
There’s something extra relaxing about a good summer rain. That is, so long as you don’t have to worry about moisture making its way into your house.Winter can take a toll on gutters, so go around the exterior of your home and double check that your gutters are cleaned out and that they’re all pointing in the right direction—i.e. away from your foundation. You never want there to be an opportunity for water to pool up near the base of your home, since that can lead to expensive leakage problems. - Do some basic landscaping
Aside from any spring planting that you intend to do, you should also be going around your yard and checking for any problem areas. This includes identifying bushes or trees that didn’t make it through the winter as well as looking for other areas that might need a little bit of TLC.Notice dead patches of grass? While it might be tempting to re-seed right away, the best time to sow grass seed is actually in the later summer/early fall, since you won’t have to worry about soaring temps and scorching sun making it difficult for grass to grow. So hold off for now and instead focus on the things that you can take care of in the moment. - Swap out seasonal items
Are you really going to need those heavy throw blankets on the couch during the summer? What about those deeply spiced candles on the mantel? Pre-summer, go through your home and collect all of your fall and winter décor so you can put the items into storage for the season. While you’re at it, take out summer items like lighter duvets and blankets, and give them a quick cleaning if they haven’t seen the light of day for six months or more. - Let there be air
Last but not least, open up those windows whenever you can to let in a fresh breeze and get winter’s stuffy air out of your space. It’s best to do this in the late spring and early summer, before it gets so hot that keeping your windows open becomes a not-so-comfortable endeavor. Be sure to keep your AC off while you do it, since otherwise you run the risk of overtaxing the system. And if it’s too sunny and warm already, aim to just open your windows in the evening, when everyone is sleeping and that cool breeze is a welcome addition.
Is your home ready for summer? Set aside a weekend to take care of all of these important tasks (and maybe one more full day, if you haven’t done your spring cleaning yet). It’s a lot easier to tackle these things now, before you just want to be outside enjoying the weather all day. It’s also good practice to always prioritize preventative maintenance steps instead of waiting for problems to occur.
If you need help with packing or moving, get in touch with Moving service vy Two Guys! We look forward to making your moving experience easy and hassle-free