DIY Spring Ready Checklist
1. Walk-around visual inspection
A lot can happen between winter and spring, and our Home Concierge team agrees a visual inspection is crucial to fixing small problems before they turn into big problems. Grab a camera, notebook, and even binoculars, and take a few laps around the perimeter of your place.
On the first pass, look for siding damage, missing paint, holes, large cracks, damaged downspouts, and areas where water is accumulating near the foundation. Check your decks for levelness, and use binoculars to examine the roof.
Next pass, get a little closer: Examine soffits, doors, windows, screens, and vents, and make a note of any damage.
If you feel comfortable, climb up a ladder to get a view of your gutters. Check for debris, and run water through your downspouts to make sure they aren't clogged.
When to request a pro from Househappy: Roofing, siding, and soffit damage should all be serviced by a pro. Be sure to contact Househappy if you record any damages to these items.
2. Take a peek at your crawlspace
This one isn’t too much fun, but it's important because a lot can happen down in your crawlspace during the cold months. Pests easily invade, pipes can freeze or break loose from their brackets, and too much moisture can lead to mold.
Open the door, kneel down, and train a high-powered flashlight on the ground. Most homes have a vapor barrier or plastic sheet covering the entire dirt floor, which prevents humidity from seeping into your insulation (and your home). Make sure this sheet is intact and hasn't shifted or been ripped by animals during the winter months.
Next, run your light on the underfloor structure and check for moisture, dripping, falling insulation, mold, or sagging. If you decide to fully enter your crawl space, be sure to wear a Tyvek (polyethylene) suit, a mask over your mouth, and safety goggles.
When to request a pro from Househappy : If your floor is sagging—or if you spy serious mold, water leaks, or a pest infestation—request a service pro.
3. Survey (and repair) winter's damage in the yard
Kick off the growing and mowing season with a spring-cleaning of your yard. Grab a rake to clear out dead grass, weeds, and sticks, and use a mulching mower to recycle it all. Then, if the soil has warmed enough in your region, apply mulch.
Apply a 2 to 3-inch layer of mulch around plants and keep a bare ring between mulch and tree trunks. Piling too much mulch up against the trunk of a tree can attract fungus and pests.
If your yard has seen better days, patch and thicken your grass with an overseeding product. Aim for an early spring seeding for cool-season grass and a late spring sowing for warm-season grass.
When to request a pro from Househappy: Landscaper service pros will ensure any of your yard maintenance is done with professional quality with the appropriate tools that you may not have available at your home. Request a landscaping pro here.
4. Refresh your flowers
We all know that April showers bring May flowers—but only if you've done the requisite prep work.
Pick up a handful of soil and squeeze it. If it crumbles easily, you can start preparing your beds. If it sticks together in a clump, it's still too wet to work in.
Begin preparing flower beds by removing any dead plants. Then work in compost, which will provide your soil with rich ingredients as well as continuous-release plant food.
Next, pull out weeds and use a pre-emergent weed preventer.
When to request a pro from Househappy: If you don't have a green thumb, consider requesting a professional gardener or landscaper. Service pros are also helpful for delivering trees, shrubs, or flowers to your home as well.
5. Tune up your lawn mower
After months of hibernation, your lawn mower will need a quick tune up:
Clean the exterior of the machine
Change your oil and spark plugs
Fill the tank with fresh fuel
Use compressed air or a leaf blower to clear grass, dirt, and debris that has accumulated in your mower. Let the motor run for a bit before changing the oil and filter. Clean foam air filters with soap and water, and make sure your machine's deck height is at the highest possible setting for your grass type.
When to request a pro from Househappy: If you don’t feel comfortable servicing your own lawn mower we can line up a service pro to take care of it for you. Also, if you don’t own a lawn mower, Househappy will help you find a service pro for a recurring mow service.
6. Check your AC unit
The last thing you want is for your AC unit to go out just as the weather warms up.
Be sure to change your unit's filter and spray the outside of the condenser with a garden hose to remove build up of dust and debris.
When to request a pro from Househappy: The above steps will help maintain your AC unit, but a service pro will ensure proper techniques are used and underlying issues are identified. Our Home Concierge team recommends a minimum of one professional AC service per year.
Need more help? Call, text, or email our Home Concierge team at 855-694-7868 and concierge@househappy.com
Or, simply request a service below and we’ll be in touch soon to connect you with a pro.