Fall Back Chore Checklist

October 2019 - Issue 24

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Image by Mad Paperie

What a difference a month makes!

We're into that time of year when the mornings can be delightfully chilly and afternoon breezes are actually refreshing.

And, despite the grousing that always accompanies changing the clocks, it is a good time to catch up on some home maintenance tasks. Taking care of the little (and sometimes not-so-little) things can help prevent problems in the future, so that you can continue to Love Where You Live!

After all - the goal is to be a happy jack-o-lantern, like the one above, and not all scowl-y and scary like these guys:

Image by Mad Paperie

So, this month, we're taking a look at the Fall Back Chore Checklist.

Thanks for reading and Happy Halloween!

xxoo

817.903.1112

debra@debrabarrett.com

p.s. - please share Harmonious Home Adventures with friends and family (everyone deserves to love where they live!). Just hit the "forward" button on your email. They can sign up here:

Fall Back - a Time for Chores

Whenever time changes, whether it's falling back or springing forward, you hear a lot of grousing. Springing forward is harder - being deprived of an hour of sleep is never fun. But in the fall? All of a sudden, you have an extra hour to put to good use!

Fall back weekend - this year on Sunday, November 3 - is an opportune time to take care of some of those home maintenance chores you keep putting off - or don't think about at all.

Here is the Harmonious Home Adventures Fall Back Chore Checklist:

Clean those gutters. Clogged gutters not only don't serve the purpose for which they were intended, they can be a source of damage to your home. Water that doesn't flow through the gutter and out the down spout can gush over the edges and infiltrate into your house. Not only that, but the water that comes off of the roof and over the edge of the gutter is far from clean and likely will discolor any surface it touches. Yes, it's a nasty job. But it's important.

Check and re-caulk windows, doors, and wall seams. Despite what it says on the tube, almost any caulk will shrink over time. Fall Back is a good time to make sure that your home is tight and tidy.

Smoke detectors - periodically, they need new batteries. This is a good time to replace them, rather than waiting for them to go bad. Not only will you have the peace of mind that comes from knowing the detectors are in good operating order, you'll avoid that really annoying loud chirping that always seems to start in the middle of the night. Or just when you've gotten the baby to go down.

Have your furnace serviced. Make sure that the pilot lights are functioning and that everything is in working order for those chilly Texas nights that are just around the corner. Stop smirking. It could happen. Even if it doesn't get exactly frigid, it'll be cold enough that you'll want to turn the heater on, so make sure it's functioning properly.

Let's take a break from the chores.

Let me find you a new home for the holidays! Or, if moving is not right for you, I can help you re-imagine your current space to be guest-ready. After all, entertaining friends and loved ones is a big part of loving where you live!

Okay back to the Chore Checklist:

Clean the oven. Talk about icky jobs. But it's important and necessary. Even self-cleaning ovens occasionally need a bit of help keeping their sparkle. And, letting spills burn in the oven is not a good way to check the operation of your smoke detectors!

Plant and re-plant trees and shrubs. I know: this one seems counter-intuitive. We're heading into winter, right? Or at least the Texas version of it. It seems as though you should plant and move trees and shrubs right before spring, when the growing season is about to begin. The experts, however, say that these growing things should be planted or moved when they're dormant. It has something to do with allowing the root system to acclimate to its new home.

Plant spring-blooming bulbs. Those lovely early-blooming flowers that help make spring such a delightful time - tulips, crocus, daffodils, irises, and more - don't simply enjoy resting in the soil over a frosty winter, it's necessary for them to bloom. Some people don't think that Texas winters get cold enough for the flowers to emerge and they put their bulbs in the freezer and plant them in the early spring. But if you want to simply bet on Mother Nature, now is the time to put those bulbs in the ground.

Hire a chimney sweep & clean the flue. Everyone loves fires on crisp, cold nights. Particularly if you have a wood-burning fireplace, however, the deposits that build up in your chimney can turn a cozy, crackling fire into a disaster. Love where you live - don't lose it. Safety and peace of mind is well worth the small expense.

There are a lot of other tasks appropriate for this time of year. The gardening list, alone, could serve as the basis for an entire issue of Harmonious Home Adventures. If you'll make the effort to tackle the items on our Fall Back Chore Checklist, though, you'll be well on your way to ensuring that you continue to Love Where You Live!