The following is a guest post brought to you by TheRedPin, a full service real estate brokerage that carries the largest database of active residential listings in the Greater Toronto Area, including listings for resale and pre-construction projects.

While the landscape of the Toronto housing market continues to see dramatic changes, with a double-digit price growth and mortgage rates hitting record lows, home maintenance duties in general have remained the same.

From roof repairs to mowing the front yard, making a habit of routinely crossing tasks off your home maintenance checklist is a sure way of protecting your biggest investment.

After all, a home in good condition will not only resonate better with buyers and drive up resale value, but also likely get snatched off the market quicker.

With that in mind, we’ve covered a comprehensive home maintenance schedule – which does account for how seasonal changes influence what activities and repairs you embark on.

Spring Home Maintenance Tips (March to May):

Spring is all about spring cleaning, it’s about re-organizing closets, giving a particular room a much needed new coat of paint, rearranging furniture to give the spaces in your home a new refreshing feel and look. Spring is also getting outside your home to start a new gardening projects, clean the lawn, checking up any possible winter damages to the exterior of your house, cleaning windows and much more.

Here’s a list of home maintenance tips for spring:

  • Spring means trees are sprouting a new crop of leaves. While it looks beautiful, your gutters and downspouts are now vulnerable to being clogged with leaves. Twigs and acorns can also be damaging.

Make sure you take the time to clear out both your gutters and downspouts from debris. Failing to do so may lead to costly repairs and re-installations that can quickly climb up to hundreds of dollars.

  • Open your outdoor hose valves and inspect them for any possible freeze damage that may have incurred in the winter months.
  • After being left to wallow in your garage, lawn equipment may have run out of battery or faced some unbeknownst damages. Do a quick check of your equipment to make sure everything is still in working condition before you get your hands dirty mowing the yard.
  • While often pleasant and breezy, the sunny spring weather can often turn hot quickly, leading you to work up a sweat. Yet, before you turn your air conditioning back on after months of inactivity, it’s a smart to ensure everything is all in order with your AC unit.

Check your AC filter to make sure it’s clean and doesn’t need replacing. Look at your vacuum condenser coils to ensure the unit is running efficiently and keep a close eye out for any possible leaks.

When it comes to checking up on wiring and fan performance, it’s best to consult a professional.

  • With the drastic fluctuation in temperature and humidity between the winter months and the onset of spring, your home becomes vulnerable to mould and mildew. Get serious about cleaning every corner of your house and don’t ignore critical areas such as the kitchen backsplash and underneath the bathroom sink.

Consider hiring professional cleaning services to tackle potential mould growth on your walls and under flooring / carpets.

  • Examine your patios, decks and walkways for any possible structural or aesthetic damages, from cracks, chips, rotting, loose boarding and faded paint. Replace damaged boards, consider repainting and thoroughly wash the deck to get rid of dirt
  • Without inches of snow pile up atop your roof, spring is the ideal time to check up on whether any roof shingles are lost or dislodged.
  • Check window and balcony insect screens for tears and make necessary replacements.
  • Fertilize your lawn.

Summer Home Maintenance Tips (June to August):

Between the seasons of spring and summer, you’ll likely find that many of your home maintenance tasks overlap – from keeping a close eye on the gutters to inspecting your air condition unit and maintaining the health of your deck.

Here’s a list of home maintenance tips for summer:

  • Ensure cold air stays in and avoid having hot drafts into your home by making sure to check your window sealants and weather stripping. Make any replacements if needed.
  • When it comes to prepping your swimming pool for the summer, clean any dirt and debris that may have built-up, examine your filter, pump for any potential damage and balance the water chemicals. Consider hiring professionals to open your pool to help streamline the process.
  • With the arrival of more humid weather, you must monitor for any condensation build up around windows and pipes – particularly in the basement and attic. If left unaddressed, condensation can lead to damage and help fester mould and mildew.

Consider purchasing a humidifier to maintain the relative humidity of your home below 60 percent.

  • Lubricate your garage door and identify any hardware / wiring issues related to automatic door opening mechanisms.
  • Inspect door hinges / locks and ensure ceiling fans are running smoothly.
  • Deep clean your carpets and hire professionals to undertake grout and tile cleaning.
  • Check your pipes for potential leaks or damage before undergoing any fixes. Water expands when it freezes, putting pressure on pipes, causing them to break, which is why warmer months is the best time to check them.
  • Keep a lookout for pests / insect infestations and hire professionals to deal with any threats. Termites are particularly active during the summer.
  • With less rain than spring and warmer air than in fall, this is the best time to power wash exterior walls to get rid of any grime or dirt that has built up over winter.
  • Take advantage of the great weather to address any peeling paint by repainting the exterior walls of our home. If not, the cracks in peeling paint can lead to a buildup of mildew and mould.

Fall Home Maintenance Tips (September to November):

When fall comes around, it’s time to bring out the rake from storage because lawns need to breath too.

Here’s a list of home maintenance tips for fall:

  • While mentioned earlier, cleaning gutters and downspouts are arguably the most important this season, as falling leaves can lead to clogs and substantial damage if left unattended. It best to clean them twice a year.
  • Test out smoke and carbon monoxide monitors to make sure they’re in working order.
  • Caulk windows / doorframes may have gaps that need to be sealed. This is done to avoid having heat escape your home, as well as to reduce risks of mould festering in the crevices.
  • In anticipation for the colder weather, get your heating systems and furnace professionally serviced.
  • Install storm windows and insure all doors can be securely closed.
  • Take preliminary steps to winterize your home by draining out excess water from your outdoor hose.
  • With the onset of fall, you’re air condition will longer be rendered useful. Turn off the unit and cover up your outside AC machinery to protect the equipment from potential weather related damage and rusting.
  • Store away patio furniture and barbecue equipment before winter hits.
  • Employ the services of professional home maintenance company to clean your heating ducts in order to maintain air quality of your residence.
  • Inspect your chimney for any possible structural damages or a possible pileup of leaves before using your fireplace to keep warm.
  • Maintain the appearance of your yard by regularly raking and disposing of leaves. Generally, you don’t want to let your leaves pile up past 3 days, as it could be more work to clean up.

Winter Home Maintenance Tips (December to February):

With winter comes a whole slew of home maintenance to-dos that involve protecting your home from potential damage and making sure you and your family keep warm indoors.

Here’s our list of home maintenance tips to winterize your home:

  • Replacing your furnace air filters once a month is a must, as it’ll helps cut down your utility bills and ensures your furnace is running at full capacity
  • Check that your home has the proper insulation installed. Whether the interior of your walls are insulated with batts and rolls (blanket-like materials) or sprayed foam, a well-insulated home can help you save as much as 20% on your heating bill.
  • While you may have inspected your weather stripping in the summer to ensure cool air stayed in, in the winter, you’ll want to inspect them again for the complete opposite reason – to keep warm air in. It also helps to avoid winter breezes from blowing through any gaps in windows and doors.
  • In order to prevent your pipes from freezing and bursting, regularly leave your faucets running. This helps prevents water from building up in your pipes. As water expands when it freezes, it can lead to burst pipes that can leak water and devastate certain areas inside of your home.

It’s also critical that you shut off your outdoor water and drain all the water in your garden hose and lawn sprinklers.

  • A hazard to both pedestrians who may slip and fall while walking and motorists, it’s important to avoid black ice from developing on your driveway and sidewalk. Begin by shovelling away snow, then follow up by spreading some salt over the area.

Clear snow and ice buildup on your roof and windows, as they can put pressure on the housing structure. Moreover, once the snow eventually thaws, meltwater can accumulate and seep into your home through cracks, leading to potential damage.

The article is a guest post brought to you by TheRedPin, a full service real estate brokerage that carries the largest database of active residential listings in the Greater Toronto Area, including listings for resale and pre-construction projects. To learn more, please visit TheRedPin.com