Home Maintenance Checklist for October

October Focus

For this month, homeowners are encouraged to focus on inclement weather preparation and for spending more time indoors. This is our breakdown for how to concentrate your home maintenance efforts.

October Home Maintenance: Outside Tasks

A lot of effort will naturally be concentrated on the outdoors this time of year. You’ll continue your regular landscaping routine for as long as is needed, and depending on the species of grass and plants in your yard, dieback begins to happen now and occurs over the next few months. Certain shrubs and bushes are best pruned in October/November (like Juniper, Boxwood, and Ivy), after the growing season has ended but before the frost sets in. Likely, you’ll be storing the barbecue, pizza oven, and other outdoor cookery, and as you pull your exterior Halloween decorations from the shed, you’ll pack away your summer lawn furniture and lawn games.

Here are some additional areas on which to concentrate your outdoor home maintenance efforts.

Outside Tasks: Safety

As the end of the month brings Trick-or-Treaters to the front door and sundown is progressively earlier, October is a perfect month to focus on outdoor safety.

• Are there damaged fence slats or decking boards that need replacing? Are the hand railings and steps leading to the front door secure? Is there a broken or loose paver that should be replaced or cracked cement that could present a hazard? 
• How well-lit is the property at night? Do any lightbulbs need to be replaced? Are walkways well-marked? Would any area of your property be better served by a motion light rather than a standard bulb? (There are adapters at the home improvement store to add a motion sensor to any light.)

Outside Tasks: Visibility

With changing weather and shorter days, think about the needs of service professionals and package deliverers as well.

• Is the mailbox clearly visible, accessible, and free of climbing vines or debris? Are the house numbers clearly visible from the street?
• Would your path, walkway or curb benefit from the addition of reflectors? Would snowplow operators benefit from any particular curb markings?

Outside Tasks: Water & Pests

While changing weather patterns necessitates starting this work in September, by October it is vital that you are thinking about water drainage and pest control.

• Clear the gutters, sewer grates and all other drainage points ahead of major storms. Minimize the risk of flooding outside all entryways and consider sloping the drainage away from the house to minimize damage to the foundation.
• Look for any small holes or crevices in the foundation, in the shed or other points outside where small creatures might crawl in and seek shelter. This is the time to patch these points, before the weather inspires them to move in.
• If you aren’t too bothered by them, leave spiders alone. Spiders will be your best deterrent for flying and crawling insects. When they’ve spent time building a web in a specific spot, it’s because they sense they’ll catch prey and removing them only invites other insects to the area.
• Empty any containers where standing water collects. Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitos and other flying pests.

October Home Maintenance: Inside Tasks

For the indoors, is the perfect time to prepare for colder months when you’ll be inside more often. It’s the perfect month to do major renovations like kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, flooring, or countertops. It’s also a good time to paint or reseal the basement. (Read our top tips and tricks for painting an unfinished or finished basement by clicking here.) Mainly, October is the best time to clean and organize your main living areas for extended stays, overnight visitors, and cozy time indoors.

Inside Tasks: Cleaning

• Deep-clean the bathrooms.
• Clean the washer and dryer (recommended 2x yearly). (We’ve got a few tips on the advice blog for how to do this.)
• Go through the refrigerator(s) and freezer(s) and get rid of expired foods. Clean cold storage shelves and defrost if needed. Reorganize the pantry and other food storage areas.

Inside Tasks: Weatherizing

• Replace screens on windows and doors with storm windows. Patch or repair screens (or hire an expert to do so) before storing them for the winter.
• Winterize doors and windows by inspecting for drafts or leaks and adding sealant or attaching door sweeps.

Inside Tasks: Comfort

• Switch out clothing storage and reorganize long-term storage areas. Bring out cold-weather clothes and pack away warm-weather clothes. Use the opportunity to donate clothing you aren’t wearing and free up storage space.
• Create a mudroom or reappoint your entryway for inclement weather. This might mean adding storage, hooks, rubberized trays for wet shoes, or adding shelving or seating.

October Home Maintenance: Call a Professional

• Schedule an oil delivery if needed. If you haven’t had your heating systems or HVAC inspected and/or cleaned yet, this is the time to do so.
• Schedule maintenance on your sprinkler system. This is also the time to fix any leaks you notice on outdoor pipes, which may require a professional.
• Hire an exterminator for indoor and outdoor pest control. As outdoor pests begin to move in, have a professional perform an inspection.

October Home Maintenance: Final Thought

October is Fire Prevention Month. This is the best time of year to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and to have your fire extinguishers inspected and charged. (If you haven’t completed this in October, usually they say to change the batteries when you change your clocks, which will be November 7^th this year.) Also, for your family’s safety and well-being, review your fire escape plan – including exit routes and communication plans. Draw out a map of your home and rehearse where you would meet in an emergency.

Make sure to check back each month as we review recommended home maintenance tasks to be accomplished. By keeping to an annual routine and checking off tasks on a monthly basis, you’ll ensure you don’t miss something important and keep your home looking and functioning its best.

Related Article: Home Remodeling Projects Best Left to the Professionals