While the nights are often still chilly enough to leave frost on the grass until the sun rises, the days here in Upstate South Carolina are warming up. Not to mention, trees are beginning to bud, and we’ve even seen a flower or two!

There’s no doubt about it… Spring is definitely on its way. While nature starts to refresh itself, you can freshen up your home in just a few easy steps using our checklist!

Get Started Indoors

Everyone knows the old standbys of spring cleaning — dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping. On top of those basics, we suggest adding just two extra tasks to your list.

First, switch out your air filters. We can’t stress this one enough! Most air filters aren’t designed to be used for more than a month. After about a month, they’ll start to clog up and fail to clear dust particles out of your home’s air, leaving them to float around rather than being picked up through the filter. We recommend getting into the habit of replacing your filter monthly or at least quarterly.

Second, test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Working household hazard detectors could be the difference between “that could have been bad” and tragedy. Test yours at least once a year, but really, we suggest twice — once in the spring and a second time in the fall. You should also be sure to the replace batteries as needed, which will probably be about every six months.

Head on Outside

After a winter full of wind, ice storms, and even a surprising amount of snow, your home’s exterior may be looking a little bit worse for wear. Bring back that curb appeal by adding these two items to your spring cleaning routine:

First, pull out your pressure washer! If you don’t already own one, they can be rented at very affordable prices from your local home improvement store. On a warm, sunny day, head out and (carefully) pressure wash around the exterior of your home. You’d be surprised how quickly your house will begin looking brand new!

Speaking of brand new, when was the last time you checked your garden hose for leaks? Many of us hook up our garden hoses and start watering gardens and flowers when the days get warm and beautiful. While working on that, make sure you’re checking for water leaks! There could be a hole in your garden hose or even a problem with the hookup next to the house. You’ll want to make sure you catch these issues before they start affecting your water bill.

At Five Star Construction, it’s our job to make sure you love your custom home right from the start. We work with you from the design phase until move-in day — and beyond! Learn more about what we can do for you like checking out our previous work, our process start to finish, or just give us a call! You can reach us by phone at (864) 303-9143 or online at any time.