Your Home Maintenance Checklist for the Summer Months

Once you buy a home, it can feel like you have a never-ending list of tasks that help maintain your property. Whether it’s must-dos to keep your home in working order, or those aspirational tasks that often get put on the backburner. There’s always something to keep a homeowner busy!

But when the sun is finally out (and staying out!) and the days are longer, you might be feeling motivated to pick up some of the more outdoorsy home chores. Read on for our summer home maintenance checklist and unlock our top tips to keep your home in shape this season.

Patch up any lingering paint jobs

Let’s start inside. If you’ve been putting off patching up that chip in your living room wall or there are a few scuffs that need your attention in the hallway, summer’s a good time to get the paint tins from storage and tackle the task.

The warmer weather provides ideal drying conditions for painted walls, and if you need a couple of layers, they’ll likely dry in time for you to smash them out in just a day. You can also push the windows open wide to air out that fresh paint smell, without having to worry too much about wind and rain. Watch out for creepy crawlies, though!

Give your windows and doors a clean

Now let’s take a step outside the property – it’s a nice time of year to be out there, after all! Cleaning the glass on your windows and doors will keep your house looking in tip top shape, with the added benefit of allowing the summer sun to stream in, brightening your home. Make a call to your local window cleaner or grab a bucket and a sponge and give it a go yourself.

And don’t forget to give the frames a good clean too to keep them looking fresh. Summer is a great season to wash the grime out of the frames, slap some warm soapy water on the doors, and get your exterior looking as good as new. You’d be surprised by the difference a decent scrub will make to your kerb appeal!

Give your exterior a lick of paint

There are lots of reasons to give the outside of your home a paint touch up too. It can give that extra oomph that makes an older home feel brand new and protect your masonry at the same time. But you can’t be out on the ladder with your paint in hand during just any season.

The warmer weather is a great time to get your exterior painting done as the temperature doesn’t fluctuate as much as it does during other seasons. Lots of heat or too much cold can stop paint adhering properly. Not to mention, wind and rain can mean your paint dries unevenly – or not at all, depending on how long that rain lasts. The more consistent warm weather the summer brings means the conditions for both painting and drying are ideal.

Clean up your roof and gutters

You’d be surprised just how much damage that pesky moss on your roof tiles is really doing. It can hold water, cause damp issues, and even shorten the lifespan of your roof. Whether you feel like digging the pressure washer out of the garage or would prefer a professional to clamber up onto your roof top, spring and early summer are the times to start thinking about it. Ideally before the moss really starts to grow.

And the same can be said for your gutters. By the end of a UK spring, it’s likely they’re clogged up with dirt, leaves, and branches. And whilst regular cleaning is recommended to extend the life of your drainpipes, summer is a good time to get them prepped for the rainier seasons.

Declutter your garage or loft space

Some spots you might’ve missed in the midst of your spring cleaning are your garage and loft spaces. And we don’t blame you. Those deep dark corners of the house tend to be the place that that camping things, memory boxes, and other knickknacks get shoved in to think about later. So, let summer be the time to think about them!

With bright, clear days that give you the opportunity to empty the space and get your belongings out in the open, it’s a good time to organise. Shake the hoarding mentality, grab yourself some storage boxes and bins, and get ready to say goodbye to the things that no longer serve you.

Give your driveway some love

Once your driveway is clear of the dregs of your garage, it’s time to turn your attention to the tarmac, to keep it from looking tatty. It’s one of the first things visitors to your home see, so it pays to keep it looking pretty. Dirt and debris can damage the surface over time, so be sure to get your brush and pressure washer out to clear it off.

There are also other little tricks you can do to preserve your driveway, like leaving your shrubs a little bushier nearby. This can help provide shade, which lowers the temperature of the ground. This can help prevent breakages and cracking.

Get going on your garden projects

Your garden alone can feel like an endless project. But with warm weather and longer days to keep you motivated to curate your outside space, summer is the season to tackle some of the ideas on your ‘garden oasis’ mood board.

Whether you’ll be creating colourful flowerbeds, planting fragrant herb gardens, constructing a pretty pagoda, or hanging a relaxing hammock, there’s something for every level of DIY capability. Even smaller projects, like pulling weeds or adding a dab of paint here and there can make a huge difference to how the space feels.

Freshen up your gates and fences

And speaking of getting your outdoor paints out, now’s the time to paint your gates and fences. Similar to the outer walls of your home, the hotter months will allow paint to dry and set better, so it’s easy to tick this task off your list. And you run less of a risk of being interrupted by a rainstorm. (Although in the UK, so the risk is never zero).

It doesn’t just look great; it protects the wood from rotting by creating a barrier between the wood and wet weather. And painting can prove cheaper and less maintenance than adding a stain to the wood.

Ready to tick these seasonal maintenance tasks off your list?

Home maintenance doesn’t just need to be those must-do tasks to keep your home in check. Summer’s a good time to spruce up, tidy up, and level up your living space. Whether you're a new homeowner or are just after warm weather maintenance tips for your home – there are plenty of tasks you can tackle to look after your property.

And if you’re looking to sell for free, working your way through these home maintenance tips may well boost your kerb appeal. That way, you can add cash to the value of your home, and save some pennies on the sale.