11 Ways to Get Your Florida Home Ready for Autumn

11 Ways to Get Your Florida Home Ready for Autumn

Kenneth Wilson

Autumn is just around the corner and now is the time to do a little home maintenance. Autumn is a divine season; the weather is cooler, the leaves are changing color and the air is crisp and clean. It’s a good time to do a little work on your Florida home.

My ‘getting ready’ for Autumn involves a lot more than putting out a few Halloween pumpkins! I like to repair any minor damages that may have happened during summer and get ready for the winter. And as you know, I love home repairs and maintenance so here I am, getting ready for Autumn in Florida and sharing my tips with you.

Here are 11 ways to get your Florida home ready for Autumn

    1. Get your fireplace or furnace ready

It’s always a good idea to clean out your fireplace or furnace once a year. If you haven’t cleaned them for a while, or you have no idea what’s up there, call in the professionals. It will add value to your house if you have a gorgeous furnace or fireplace and one that works well. Plus, cozy fires in winter! Don’t forget to stock up on firewood.

  • Do a home safety check

    Do these once a year, more if you want to, and Autumn is a good time to do it. Make sure there are batteries in your smoke alarms, have a flashlight handy that works in case of power cuts. Make sure your fire extinguishers work and that you know where they are. Florida is not a high fire risk area but if you're going to be using fireplaces and electric heating, be prepared in case of emergency.

  • Clean your gutters

    I do this a lot more than once a year but Autumn is a good reminder. Leaves are falling down and there may well be a lot of debris up on your roof. Clean out your gutters, consistently, but especially mid and end Autumn. Autumn in Florida is beautiful but it is messy too. Blocked gutters create blockages which create floods and roof leaks. Do it yourself if you have the equipment and are not scared of heights. Otherwise, you can hire professionals to do it for you.

    Related: How To Clean Your Gutters Safely
  • Check the sealing on your doors and windows

    Look Florida doesn't get that cold in winter but it’s a good idea to do this anyway. Plus, it’s helpful for those occasional hurricanes we have. Do the paper test. Slide a piece of paper, A4 or similar, through a door or window. If it slides or falls, you have gaps. Go to the local hardware store, buy some caulk or weather stripping, and get sealing. It’s easy, nice rewarding work – will add value to your home and you won’t have to deal with unpleasant breezes in winter.

  • Fix concrete cracks before they crack wide open

 

Some of your sidewalk or driveway concrete or asphalt may have cracked open from the summer heat. If yes, this is a good and warm time to repair those cracks. Again, do them before they split too much. It’s all about maintenance. Autumn in Florida is a beautiful time, it’s not too hot to get outside and get working.

  • Plant for spring!

    Get in your garden and plant bulbs for spring. Tulips and daffodils are so rewarding and I
    must say, I love the first bulbs that start peeking through. Plant now and sit back and wait!
    Choose a sunny spot.

  • Clean your gardening tools

    You hardly ever use a lawnmower in winter so clean it up now and put it away safely. The
    same goes for gardening tools. Clean them and sort them out and get them ready to store
    away. It’s one of the few pleasures of winter, a garden that doesn’t go wild!

  • Mulch

    This is so simple. All the leaves are falling down now and they’re beautiful, red, gold and
    yellow. Don’t sweep them up and throw them away. Spread them out across your garden.
    Use them for mulch. Put the nutrients back into the soil. And protect your garden from
    winter foes like ice and snow and okay, I keep forgetting we’re in Florida where it doesn’t
    get so cold. Still, Mulch!

  • Move your garden furniture

    I do this every year. In summer my garden furniture is under a patio roof. I made the patio
    roof by the way! In winter, I move my table and chairs to a spot in the garden that gets full
    sun. I love sitting here in winter and feeling the sun on my skin.

  • Paint, inside and out

    If any exterior walls need painting, do it now. Don’t wait for the paint to get really bad.
    The one thing about using GOOD paint, in the beginning, is that you don’t have to touch up
    and repaint often. But if you have a bad paint job, in or out, get it fixed now. Honestly,
    don’t wait. It seems painful but it will add value to your home and add pleasure to your
    lifestyle.

  • Stock the cupboards

    This is not about an emergency, this is about pleasure too. Make sure you have your favourite chocolate in the cupboards, that there are a few bottles of wine in the cellar and also, all the standards. If the weather is bad, you may not feel like driving to the grocery store. Although, I guess there are food delivery services in Florida too!

 

Let’s chat about the importance of maintaining a home, Autumn in Florida and let me
know if you have any excellent tips. I think tip number one is to really enjoy the weather,
it is always our most stunning time.

Kenneth Wilson
March 9, 2018
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Kenneth Wilson

Retired contractor. Currently residing in Southwest Florida. Now in semi-retirement, I write and manage this blog focused on helping home owners make savvy decisions when it comes to finding contractors and getting their projects done. I also operate remodeling design service for homeowners.

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