Greenville just saw its first frost, the days are getting shorter, the leaves are changing colors, and the “Christmas Creep” has begun, with decorations finding their way into all your favorite stores.

That’s right — fall is truly right around the corner. Upstate South Carolina’s mild climate and clear, beautiful autumn days provide the perfect weather for checking off those fall home maintenance tasks and preparing your home for the coming winter.

Your Home Maintenance To-Do List for This Fall

• Check your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detectors. We recommend checking these once every change of season. Make sure the batteries are working, and if they’re not, be sure to switch them out.
• Clean out those gutters. As the leaves fall, they can clog up your gutters and downspouts. If we get a lot of rain, it will have nowhere else to go but through your roof. Keeping your gutters clean is a great way to avoid serious roof repairs.
• Get your chimney or fireplace cleaned. We recommend a cleaning before use every year. This way, you won’t deal with soot buildup that creates unpleasant smells or keeps your fireplace from functioning properly.
• Winterize your yard equipment. Drain gasoline out of your mower, roll up and detach your garden hose from the spigot, and store all your yard equipment in your garage or another clean, dry location.
• Replace or repair weather-stripping. The weather-stripping around your doors and garage doors can wear away or fall apart, letting cold drafts in and forcing your heating system to work even harder. Replacing or repairing your stripping will keep your bills manageable this winter.
• Wrap up your A/C. Now that it’s officially retired for the season, you’ll want to vacuum out the insides of your A/C and replace the filters. Many people choose to wrap their A/C units in tarp or a plastic cover to protect them from rusting through the winter.
• Get ready for winter before it’s here. Pick up a few supplies that will help you deal with ice and snow. If you buy your rock salt, windshield scrapers, and snow shovels now, you won’t find yourself scrambling to make it to the store to buy them after you’ve been iced in.

Taking these easy steps will help you prepare for the chilly weather ahead, allowing you to relax when the cold weather really hits. Five Star Construction builds custom luxury homes in Upstate South Carolina. We work with your needs from those first designs through move-in day and beyond. Interested in learning more? We’d love to hear from you! Give us a call at (864) 303-9143 or contact us online today!