How to Prepare Your Home for Summer
As the chilly winter season comes to an end and spring turns into summer, you’ll want to make sure that your home is adequately prepared to take the heat. From maintenance to your air conditioning to an uptick in pests looking for a comfortable place to nest, you’ll have no shortage of things to look out for when the temperatures begin to rise outside. If you’re looking to beat the heat and make sure your home is ready for the summer months, this blog from Go Store It has tips and tricks to help you get started.
Service Your HVAC and Air Conditioning Systems
The first thing you should do when preparing your home for summer is to check on the HVAC, air conditioners, and other cooling systems that you utilize in the summer. It is wise to get these devices inspected and serviced at least once a year, so any issues can be resolved before general use makes them worse. You can do some preventative maintenance yourself by cleaning and swapping out faulty parts on the electrical components, lubricating motors and checking belts, removing dust from the blower, and re-calibrating the thermostat if necessary.
Another important part of HVAC maintenance is replacing the air filter. This filter is a prime location for collecting pollen or mold that is in the air, so swapping it out every 90 days or sooner can prevent a buildup of these harmful particles so the air system doesn’t spread them throughout your home and aggravate allergies or cause your family to get sick.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
Making sure your thermostat is functioning properly is an important step in getting your home ready for the summer heat, and we highly recommend upgrading to a programmable one if possible. Programmable thermostats can be set to automatically change the temperature of your home throughout the day, which can save you money on your electricity bill each month by allowing you to control how much cool air gets circulated when you aren’t home. Instead of paying a premium to keep your home cool all day, you can set the thermostat to automatically raise the temperature while you are away and to begin cooling down again when you return.
Preventative Pest Control
We all love spending more time outside as the weather warms up, but this change in seasons also signals the rise of those annoying pests that we love to hate during the summer. From ants marching one-by-one into your home in search of food to hungry mosquitoes and angry wasps zipping around your backyard, insects and invasive mammals can spoil your summer if not kept under control.
Some general pest control tips you can implement in the Spring to safeguard your home and favorite outdoor spaces in the summer include:
- Landscaping: Keeping your lawn trimmed and free of natural debris and outdoor maintenance equipment eliminates nesting and hiding spots for many common pests, which can help keep them from sneaking into your home after making their home in your yard.
- Move Your Garden: Gardens are a favorite attraction for bees, wasps, and other insects or creatures that feed on or are attracted to sweet-smelling plants. Moving your garden away from your house reduces the chance that these insects build their nest in or on your home or other highly-trafficked areas.
- Eliminate Standing Water: Not only do mice, cockroaches, and other pests look for sources of water when finding their new home, but this environment also acts as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Make sure that you do not have an abundance of places where water can accumulate such as clogged gutters and empty flower pots, and fix up any leaky faucets or hoses that could attract pests as well.
Spring Cleaning
The final step in preparing your home for summer can feel like the most daunting — the annual Spring Cleaning. Cold winters often mean spending more time indoors, which can naturally result in the accumulation of clutter around the house. Whether it’s packing up the old treadmill that’s been accumulating dust in the corner since you’ve begun running outside again or trimming down on the extra clothes in your closet, spring cleaning is a necessity to getting your space organized before a new season.
Pack Up Seasonal Items
Seasonal clothing, decorations, blankets, and other items designed for the cold seasons can take up a great deal of space when they aren’t in use, thanks to their bulkier design. Since these items are only needed for a couple of months out of the year, properly packing and storing them somewhere out of the way is a great way to clear space up for what you need for the summer.
Make sure that your clothing, blankets, and other seasonal items are properly cleaned before sticking them in sealed containers or air-tight space bags, and place them in the corner of an attic, garage, or other storage space that is dry and preferably climate-controlled to reduce the risk of mildew or heat-related damages occurring. If you do not have these spaces available in your home, a self storage unit is an affordable, convenient option for holding your seasonal belongings as well.
Get Your Home Ready for Summer with Self Storage
If your home has been feeling cluttered from a winter of being stuck inside, a storage unit is a great way to get organized and clear out seasonal items or appliances that are taking up space. With locations across 15 states, Go Store It is proud to offer affordable storage solutions with a wide variety of unit sizes. Explore our storage resources for tips on how to best pack and store your belongings, or contact us to get started on the rental process today!