It's Spring again! When we think of Spring cleaning and chores, most often that conjures up thoughts of indoor housekeeping projects like cleaning, ridding the house of dust bunnies and more.

There are a handful of other Spring chores we should be doing related to home maintenance, both indoor and outdoor, that not only help us save money but keep us and our homes safe. For many parts of the country, we are entering storm seasons as we progress into the Summer months including rainy seasons, tornadoes, wind and for some states even hurricanes.

The chores we will highlight here today go well beyond deep-cleaning the interior of your home but should help you be ready for whatever life throws at you, help you save money and give you peace of mind. As you progress, you may add more items to your "to-do" list but these are a good starting point for all homeowners.

This Spring don't forget to:

1. CHECK YOUR ROOF: You should assess your roof's condition prior to Summertime making sure to look for things like missing shingles and any damage where your roof and walls meet. A stable roof is of importance as we enter into the Summer seasons and there could be unidentified damage to your roof, especially for those in a northern climate where Winter can create these problems from year to year. When doing your roof assessment, be sure to check for any debris that has gathered on your roof or around gutter areas and be sure to look out for and trim any tree limbs that have grown to where they are now hanging over your roof. These could easily cause damage during a Summer storm.
2. CHECK YOUR GUTTERS & DOWNSPOUTS: While doing your roof assessment, it's a great time to clean out those gutters of all debris, leaves and other things that will keep your gutters from working properly should there be a storm or a lot of rain. You should also be on the lookout for loose gutters, sags in your gutters and water stains. Water stains usually indicate leaks. Repair any loose fittings or sagging gutters to prevent damage as well.
3. CLEAR YOUR YARD OF DEBRIS: Take a look at all your trees and bushes to make sure they haven't sustained any recent damage that could make them more vulnerable during a storm, like cracks or loose branches. It's best to take care of them now. Over the winter months when we do less landscaping and yard work, most of us accumulate more debris in the way of leaves, small branches or sticks, pine needles etc. These are a big fire hazard and should be cleaned and pruned as needed.
4. CHECK ALL HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS: With the change of seasons, especially in more northern climates, often times we are firing up the air conditioning and shutting down the heating and furnace systems as the weather changes. Spring is a great time to take stock of both systems in the home and do yearly maintenance and checkups. Clean any fans that have built up debris on them taking care to disconnect any power sources to them first for personal safety. Survey all outdoor components of your air conditioning and heating systems if you have them and make sure that they haven't built up debris in or around them. If so, clean it up. It's also a great time to replace filters in your systems to make sure that they are running to maximum capacity and efficiently. A clogged up air conditioning filter, for example, can make your home feel hotter during the Summer months because it restricts air flow and you'll save money by replacing those filters.
5. CHECK ALL VENTS, DRAINS AND COVERS: Along with our heating, air conditioning and even household clothes dryers, many homes have vents, drains and covers associated with them. Making sure all of these are properly cleaned and not obstructed can save from back ups or build ups that can cause flooding or fire hazards.
6. CHECK ALL SMOKE DETECTORS: Spring is a great time to test smoke detectors and replace batteries or any defective equipment. While it is recommended that this be done twice a year, now is a great reminder to do so when doing your other Spring home maintenance chores.

You will feel great once this checklist is completed and it's bound to save you money in some ways and give you peace of mind in others. Once you are done, you can head into the Summer months not bogged down by undone chores but rather knowing you are ready for the change of seasons.