Maintaining your home’s exterior helps keep its curb appeal fresh and helps maintain its value.
If your home is part of an HOA, be sure you are following all HOA guidelines for your home’s exterior.
Exterior Entry Doors
- Check exterior doors in the spring and fall to see that the weather-stripping is still tightly fastened.
- Use aerosol lubricant on squeaky hinges.
- Apply petroleum jelly to rubber weather-stripping to keep the door from sticking.
- For sliding glass doors, keep the track free of debris.
- Inspect your garage door and opener at regular intervals for signs of wear and improper alignment.
- Check with your manufacturer for details on how to adjust an exterior door.
Exterior Windows
- Vacuum window tracks monthly to keep them free of debris.
- Clean exterior glass with a solution of water with a little vinegar added to cut the grime and use a lint-free cloth to wash the glass.
- If the seal around the window frame breaks, call the manufacturer for repair.
Exterior Lighting
- Your outdoor lighting makes your home look good at night, so be sure all bulbs are working.
- With regular cleaning, bulb replacement and repairs, you’ll keep your home shining bright.
Landscaping
- Delay landscaping projects around your new home until it is one year old at minimum; it takes a year for most of the soil to settle.
- Hire a professional landscaper to do any additional landscaping to your home as it has been landscaped and graded to avoid flooding and termites.
- Every spring, inspect for termites in your landscaping and around the exterior of your home.
Gutters and roof
- Check your home’s gutters and downspouts twice a year, especially during the fall.
- Remove debris as it is needed.
- Remember to inspect the elbows where the gutters connect to the downspouts.
- Check for cracked caulk at the corners.