Things to know: A checklist for your summer house project?

Tackling your summer house projects.

Who doesn’t love bundling up in winter gear à la A Christmas Story and going outside in the limited daylight hours and frigid cold of a December day to tackle some home renovation projects?

Just kidding – of course, the long summer days and lack of snow are better suited to giving your home a facelift both inside and out.

Not sure where to start? Here are our top 10 ideas for what to add to your summer home project list:

1. Replace a Door

All those Pinterest boards of bold colored, statement front doors exist for a reason. They are a simple way to bring a new personality to your home and to improve its curb appeal.

Are you looking to create an indoor-outdoor feel to your patio space? Consider either a sliding door or French door.

A sliding door allows for both airflow and a screen to keep bugs out. Elegant French doors can be flung open to invite guests to mingle and flow between the patio area and the delicious brunch buffet in the kitchen.

2. Clean Out Your Gutters

Let’s be honest – when those autumn leaves fell, did you (or your designated proxy) go up on the roof and clean out the gutters or did you put it off? Now is the time to suck it up and take care of this potential problem before you find yourself with a clog and water backflowing into places you would prefer it didn’t.

While you are there, inspect the gutters to ensure that they are in good condition and don’t need any repairs.

3. Upgrade Your Sprinkler System

All the freezing and thawing plus potential damage from being maimed by snowblowers or shovels can do a number on your sprinkler system.

Take a good look at your yard and see if there are signs that you need to take action now to preserve your landscaping. Watch for things like patches of dry grass caused by non-functional sprinkler heads, wet sidewalks caused by poorly adjusted sprinkler heads, or higher water bills potentially caused by leaks in the system.

Do you have an older system that can no longer keep up with the water needs of your robust landscape? Maybe you are simply looking for something more efficient. In either case, summer is the time to upgrade.

4. Re-Vamp Your Landscaping

Speaking of landscaping, walk outside and take a look at your property. See it not with the eyes of a long-term homeowner who glosses over the areas that need work, but rather like a critical prospective buyer with no emotional attachment.

Do you like what you see? How could it be better? Do you picture a shade tree in the corner of the lawn or a bed of colorful perennials around the gazebo? Give yourself permission to create that ideal landscape this summer.

5. Inspect Your Windows and Doors

You may not notice the subtle increase in your AC bill during hot months, but you’ll surely feel the icy winter draft of an air leak come winter. Don’t wait – check for potential problems now so you can get them fixed long before the first leaves fall.

Check both your windows and doors for air leaks. If you discover a leak, contact the experts so we can help you fix the source of the problem.

6. Refresh Your Hardware

Quick – what does the hardware on your kitchen cabinets look like? Did you know, or did you have to go look? We may not consciously remember the hardware in a room, but it plays a huge roll in defining the feel and character of the space.

The great news about hardware is that it is easy to change out. Even without replacing or painting your cabinets, you can significantly revamp a room simply by choosing a new hardware style.

7. Wash Your Window Treatments

It’s a potentially uncomfortable question, but when was the last time you washed your window treatments? True, you don’t wear them or sleep in them like clothes and sheets, so they certainly don’t need to be washed nearly as often. Still, if those white sheer panels are sporting little grey dust bunnies and spiderwebs, it is long past time to throw them in the wash.

If you aren’t someone who naturally remembers to wash your curtains, consider setting yourself up for success by adding a calendar reminder every 3-6 months.

8. Touch Up Interior Paint

Take a good look at the corners of your interior walls, especially those in high-traffic areas like the living room, kitchen, and hallways. How does the paint look?

These exposed corners are one of the first places that paint begins to wear and chip off over time. Make your home look new again by getting a color match paint and touching up the bare spots.

9. Invest in Solar

In our increasingly energy-conscious society, solar panels have been getting more attention from homeowners. Of course, most of those homeowners tend to live in warm, sunny states like New Mexico, Texas, and California.

Despite the advantages solar has to offer, you may wonder if it is a viable and cost effective option for those who live in the Midwest. The surprising answer is – yes.

As it turns out, solar panels actually work better in colder weather than they do in the heat. Even factoring in the shorter days of winter, and some time spent covered in snow, solar panels can produce cost savings.

10. Change Your Windows

You already inspected your windows and doors for air leaks. Now take one more look at your windows to check if they are displaying signs of any of the most common window problems .

Watch out for seal failure, rotted trim, water intrusion, broken or missing hardware, or cracked panes. Open and close each window to ensure they function correctly.

If your windows don’t pass the test, let us know and we will give you a quote on replacements. Remember, replacing your windows in the summer is much easier than replacing them in January when temps are below zero.