Leaves are falling, temperatures are dropping and football is on TV again. Fall is finally here in DFW. 

While that brings plenty of excitement from Autumn at the Arboretum to traditional family holidays at home, it also means it is time to tackle fall maintenance tasks and start preparing for the harsher months ahead. 

Here are a few tips from our Riverside Homebuilders Customer Service Department to help guide your efforts and hopefully make the process a little easier this time around. 

Show your lawn some love

There are a few different schools of thought around how to best prepare your yard for winter. One says to rake and bag the leaves that fall on your lawn and the other opts for mulching through your mower and leaving them in place. Either way, it is essential to disrupt them because a thick layer of leaves can prevent the growth of new grass in the spring. 

While you are deliberating, go ahead and prune your trees and shrubs to keep them healthy when they go dormant. This helps your home too by lessening the chances of icy accidents with dead branches damaging roofs or cars.

Get up to the gutters

Though cleaning your gutters and downspouts is probably not your favorite chore, it is one of the most important this time of the year. Clearing them out helps to prevent buildup of sticks and leaves that can contribute to wood rot and other damage. Grab a ladder or hire some help to make sure water has a clear path down and away from your home which can extend the lifetime of your foundation and other concrete work. 

Work the sidewalk

Fall brings lots of visitors to our homes and traffic to our walkways. Make sure to take a tour and check for any damage before snow and ice are added to the mix. This also applies to front steps and driveways too. This is a good opportunity to add some extra solar lights or non-slip tape for steps. 

Fix up your furnace

First off, replace the filter. It has likely been in place longer than the suggested three months and a clean air filter is armor against the seasonal allergies that are hitting now. 

Then, consider more comprehensive service like cleaning your air ducts or having a professional come out to inspect the entire system before you need it. Noisy belts and erratic temperatures are a warning sign that something may be wrong.

Don’t forget the doors and windows

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, gaps in caulk or weather stripping can account for as much as 10 percent of home heating bills. But lucky for you, it’s a relatively easy fix by checking doors and windows for air leaks. Try testing this with a lit candle near the frame and look for flame to flicker or close a piece of paper in the door and try to pull. If it comes out, the weather stripping is failing.

If you take these steps and something is still lacking, there is time to move before the end of the year. Tour one of Riverside Homebuilders’ quick move-in homes in DFW and keep your family cozy this Winter.