Now that summer is gone and fall is here, it’s time to start your
autumn to-do list. Here are some great fall projects:
Plant Beautiful Fall Blooms
Late summer and early autumn are perfect times to plant
late-blooming flowers. Whether you accent
your front porch
with hanging baskets or line your front walkway with colorful
blooms, you can
enjoy gardening well into the fall season.
Improve Your Outdoor Lighting
Autumn means longer nights
and shorter days and is an ideal time for a lighting
upgrade. If you have been
meaning to add a spotlight
above the front door, or if you
long for a stone pathway lined
with low-maintenance solar
lights, fall is the perfect time
to complete these projects.
Touch Up Your Exterior Paint
You do not have to repaint your home’s exterior to give your property the protection it needs. Just check for peeling
and chipping paint and do your own small touch-ups. A few
timely touch-ups now will protect your home and extend the life
of the original paint job.
Clean Out Your Gutters
Debris can collect in gutters, which keeps rainwater from drain-
ing properly. Once the water backs up, it can run onto the roof
and down the siding, causing damage to the home. Clearing the
gutters and redirecting water downspout extensions so water
drains at least three to four feet away from the foundation can
keep these things from happening. If you don’t feel comfortable on a tall ladder, you can hire a professional to
clean and check the gutters.
Turn Your Ceiling Fans to Run Clockwise
In the summer, your ceiling fans are such a wonderful way to help keep your home cool. But did you know ceiling fans are also a great way to enjoy warmer air
when the days get cooler? Run-
ning your ceiling fans clockwise
creates an updraft while simultaneously pushing down warm
air from the ceiling.
Swap Out Your Furnace Filter
Fall is the perfect time to give
your heating system a tune-up,
and changing out the filters is a good place to start. You
may also want to schedule a
professional inspection and cleaning to keep your furnace running at peak
efficiency all season long.
Clues in the Attic: Fall Roof Checkups Made Easy
"Roofs actually create an insulated barrier
that helps trap heat inside, and most attic
spaces are located right below them,” says
Jason Joplin, program manager of the Center
for the Advancement of Roofing Excellence,
“That makes them perfect for spotting
potential problem areas and damage without
worrying about falling off a ladder."
Here’s What to Look for While up in the Attic:
• Water Leaks: After a rainstorm, shine a flashlight into the attic to check not
only for dripping water and condensation but also for water stains on the
ceiling, walls, and floors. All signal that H2O is finding its way beneath your
roof’s shingles or behind its flashings.
• Ventilation: “Think of the attic as the lungs of the house,” advises Joplin. “It
has to be able to breathe in order to function properly.” Which is to say, vents
stuffed with debris need to be cleared.
• Animal Damage: Call a pest-control pro if you spot any of these telltale signs:
nests, droppings, and gnawed wood, wires, or insulations.
Article by Any Presentations
Contact Silver Alliance Realty
Mary Platt
Designated Broker
(602) 618-6764
Mary@PlattTeamAZ.com
The lack of supply will lead
to more competition in the
market this fall. This is not
welcome news to first-time
buyers; this group accounted
for 33 percent of all housing
market activity in July. This is up 1 percent from both a month ago and a year ago. For
all of 2016, first-time buyers represented 35 percent of
the market.
