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Fall Cleaning Checklist & Free Printable

By Manuela Williams

Free Printable Cleaning Schedule for Fall.

Fall cleaning checklist? I know everyone is always talking about spring cleaning. But since I’m a gardener I’ve always been more partial to fall cleaning than spring cleaning. Since in spring I’m usually busy getting my garden ready! Plus I like knowing that I’m going into the holidays with my home clean, tidy, and ready for guests. So before you start putting out your fall decor and getting your home nice and cozy for the cooler weather ahead, give your home a deep clean with this Fall Cleaning Checklist! A printable version is available for your convenience at the end of this post.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to Amazon and/or Etsy, which means that I may earn a small commission from some of the links in this post. Please see our Disclosure Page for more information.

Don’t try to do everything on the checklist in a day or two. Give yourself some time and break down the cleaning schedule into zones or just try to do one or two tasks a day. Don’t forget to get the family involved – everyone can help with autumn cleaning of the house!

Fall Cleaning Checklist & Free Printable

Are you wondering if now is the time to start fall cleaning, or if you’re too early or too late? It’s actually easy to figure out when fall technically is, as it’s the time between the fall equinox and winter solstice. But based on where you live, that timeline could actually be too late in the year or too long (in the northern hemisphere, the fall equinox is usually around September 22nd and the the winter solstice is usually around December 21st). What I usually use as a cut-off date is Thanksgiving, since it’s at the end of November. So for me, from the fall equinox (in September) to Thanksgiving (in November) is fall, and after that until the spring equinox (in March) is winter. That may not be technically correct, but it’s more accurate for cleaning purposes. After Thanksgiving, I move on to my winter cleaning checklist.
Want to easily keep your home clean year-round?
Then you need our printable Cleaning Binder!
It’s full of handy cleaning schedules to make it easy to keep your home neat!

General Home Maintenance

• Have your heating system serviced
• Have your fireplace chimney cleaned
• Winterize your pool (here are tips for above ground pools, and here are tips for in-ground pools)
• Store your patio furniture
• Clean your gutters (here are gutter cleaning tips)
• Test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms
• Wash all your windows (you can use our all-natural streak-free DIY window cleaner)
• Clean and install storm windows and doors
• Sweep around the front door area removing cobwebs and change out your door mat to a fall themed one

Lots of new Homes to view

The 15 Must-Dos of Fall Yard Cleanup

Written by Rebecca Edwards | Updated November 1, 2016

Autumn means football games and visits to the local pumpkin patch. It also means it’s time to get your yard ready for winter. The right preparation now will save you time and energy when spring rolls around, and will keep you and your family safe in the yard year-round. Make sure you get the most out of your yard next year by following our checklist of fall cleanup musts.

Click here to see the infographic.

1. Clean out debris.

Fallen leaves and weeds are the perfect place for pests to settle in for the winter. Clear out flower beds to keep the critters at bay. Pay special attention to rose beds, as their foliage can foster disease over the winter.

2. Till the vegetable garden.

After the final harvest, pull out old vegetable plants, remove debris, and completely till the whole plot. If you compost, now is the time to add a layer of compost to help nurture your soil for planting next spring.

3. Trim Rogue Branches.

Trim up any large or out-of-place tree branches that may cause trouble during the winter. You don’t want any branches breaking and falling during the snowfall to come.

4. Clean out the gutters.

Not all fall cleanup is in the yard. This is the perfect time to clear leaves and other debris from rain gutters. Check for proper drainage, clear out any blockages with a small garden trowel, and rinse with a hose.

5. Dry everything out.

Drain all water from hoses, fountains, and drip irrigation systems, and store them in a dry place. Water left standing over the winter may damage your equipment.

6. Aerate.

Break up soil to keep water from pooling and guarantee that nutrients will reach the roots over the winter. A garden fork will do the job for small yards, but larger yards may require a walk-behind aerator, which should be available to rent for a reasonable price.

7. Feed the lawn.

Send your yard into winter with the nutrients it needs to survive the long, cold sleep. Add a fall lawn fertilizer with high phosphorous content to encourage root growth and enjoy a lush, green lawn come spring.

8. Rake and mulch.

Don’t let fallen leaves get the best of you; if left unattended they can suffocate the grass. Rake them up, shred them, and use them as mulch for young trees, shrubs, and flower beds. You might even be able to skip the raking part if you use a lawn mower to mulch the leaves in your yard.

9. Prune trees and shrubs.

Trim any dead branches and cut back overgrown trees and bushes. If you have blooming perennials like clematis or roses, now is the time to prune them and train the branches.

10. Give it one last mow.

Set your mower to a low setting and give the lawn a close buzz before winter sets in. This helps the soil dry out more quickly in the spring, which leads to a lusher lawn.

11. Divide and cut back perennials.

If your perennials really took off this year, go ahead and spread the love. Divide plants and add them to other beds where they will also do well. This saves money and time in the spring. Fall-blooming perennials like chrysanthemums shouldn’t be divided now — wait and divide them in the spring.

12. Protect cold-sensitive plants.

Keep sensitive perennials, shrubs, and roses in top shape through the cold days of winter. Add mulch to the base and wrap plants in cloth barriers to prevent damage from freezing. Depending on the hardiness of the plant and your climate, you can use a single sheet or blanket or wrap them in a combination of cloth and plastic.

13. Plant bulbs, shrubs, and fall annuals.

Some plants do best when planted in the fall. If you want to add new shrubs or spring bulbs like hyacinth, now is the time to get them in the ground. Fall annuals like pansies are also a great addition to keep some color in your yard as other plants go to sleep.

14. Protect the deck.

Prevent the growth of mold and mildew by giving the deck a good power wash. If you don’t have a pressure washer, you can rent one from a garden store. Once the deck is clean and dry, add a weatherproofing stain to protect the wood from moisture damage over the winter.

15. Clean tools and store them.

Don’t throw your gardening tools in the shed and forget about them until spring. Take time to give them a good cleaning and add a light coat of oil to prevent rust during the cold season.

If you follow this checklist you’re bound to have a wonderfully winterized yard that will be ready to wow you with lush, green bounty once the warm weather returns.

Written by Rebecca Edwards

Rebecca has honed her safety and security skills as both a single mom and a college director. Being responsible for the well-being of others helped her learn how to minimize risk and create safe environments. Learn more

Homeowners can do plenty to spruce up their home and make it more enticing for buyers. But when they’re narrowing their list, what are a few quick fixes that can have a big impact? Besides a fresh coat of paint, Redfin highlighted some additional ideas on its blog, including:
Continue… https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2019/10/08/3-minor-upgrades-that-boost-value-instantly

Home buyers shouldn’t assume bidding wars are a thing of the past. In August, there was an average of three offers for every home sold, according to the 2019 REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey. That figure has stayed mostly consistent since October 2015, when the National Association of REALTORS® started tracking such data.
Competition tends to be highest during April and May, NAR notes. But low mortgage rates are propelling a strong fall homebuying season, even as fears of a slowing economy mount. REALTORS® report an increase in buyer traffic nationwide, excluding North Dakota and Illinois, the survey shows. REALTORS® in Idaho, Wyoming, and Wisconsin report the strongest buyer activity.
Continue… https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2019/10/07/realtors-indicate-bidding-wars-haven-t-ended

Certain home remodeling projects are making homeowners happier and proving to be well worth the cost and time when they sell their properties, according to a new survey from the National Association of REALTORS®, which includes insights from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.
After completing a home remodeling project, 74% of more than 2,100 consumers surveyed reported having a greater desire to be in their home, 65% say they experienced increased enjoyment, and 77% felt a major source of accomplishment, the 2019 Remodeling Impact Report shows. Researchers examined 20 projects and surveyed REALTORS® and consumers on home renovation projects.
Continue… https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2019/10/03/home-improvement-projects-that-make-homeowners-happier

Home Improvement Projects That Make Happier Homeowners

October 3, 2019

Certain home remodeling projects are making homeowners happier and proving to be well worth the cost and time when they sell their properties, according to a new survey from the National Association of REALTORS®, which includes insights from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.

After completing a home remodeling project, 74% of more than 2,100 consumers surveyed reported having a greater desire to be in their home, 65% say they experienced increased enjoyment, and 77% felt a major source of accomplishment, the 2019 Remodeling Impact Report shows. Researchers examined 20 projects and surveyed REALTORS® and consumers on home renovation projects.

“REALTORS® and homeowners alike recognize the value of taking on a major home remodeling project,” says NAR President John Smaby. “While these tasks can be time-consuming and costly, the projects are well worth the temporary inconveniences, as this report shows, and the final products ultimately reward us with feelings of accomplishment, satisfaction, and higher home values.”

NAR calculated a “joy score” for each home remodeling project studied. The score, a scale from one to 10, is based on homeowners’ overall perceived happiness with their renovations. The higher the joy score for the project, the more homeowners felt satisfaction from it.

Some of the highest joy scores for interior projects centered on complete kitchen renovations, closet renovations, full interior and interior room paint jobs, kitchen upgrades, and basement conversions to living areas.

The exterior jobs with the highest joy scores were new fiberglass or steel front doors, new vinyl and wood windows, and new roofing.

The Resale Benefit

Remodeling can be money well spent at times of resale. Overall, the top remodeling projects for recovering costs at resale were from new roofing, hardwood floor refinishing, and new hardwood floor installation.

NARI remodelers say that homeowners spend on average about $7,500 for new roofing, but real estate pros estimate that sellers will recover $8,000 at resale—an estimated 107% of the value recovered.

On new wood flooring, the average cost homeowners spend on an update is $4,700, but a 106% potential return is possible at resale (real estate pros estimate $5,000).

The Happiest Home Projects

But remodels aren’t just for the potential payback at resale. “The NAR report shows us that people often remodel for resale purposes, but it also reminds us that homeowners remodel too, with the desire to make a home their own,” notes Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist.

Here’s a closer look at the study results on the home improvement projects that made homeowners the happiest:

Kitchen renovation

Joy score: 10

Ninety-three percent of consumers said they had a greater desire to be at home since the completion of their kitchen remodel; 95% said it’s increased their sense of enjoyment when at home. “The kitchen is a space homeowners frequent regularly throughout the course of the day,” Yun says. “So when that area is remodeled to owners’ exact preferences—as they enter and exit the room—they continually experience the satisfaction of a job well done.”

The biggest reason behind a kitchen renovation was to improve functionality and livability, according to 46% of respondents. Also, 24% said they wanted to upgrade worn-out surfaces and materials, while another 20% said they had recently moved into their home and wanted to customize the kitchen to fit their particular tastes. “Kitchens serve as the ‘heart of the home’ for many, and whether you like to entertain or cook, updating a kitchen ensures greater access and use as homeowners age, especially when the upgrades take accessibility into account,” says Robert Kirsic, a certified kitchen and bath remodeler and also NARI’s 2019–2020 president.

Closet renovation

Joy score: 10

Upgrading home closets also made for instantly happier homeowners. Sixty-eight percent of consumers surveyed say they feel a major sense of accomplishment when they think about a completed closet renovation project. More than half say the most important result is improved functionality and livability.

Full interior paint job

Joy score: 9.8

A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for improving the look of a house—but it also improves the mood of those living there. Eighty-eight percent of respondents reported a greater desire to be home since having their home freshly painted.

New fiberglass front door

Joy score: 9.7

The installation of fiberglass front doors can also help for resale and happiness, the survey found. Seventy-nine percent of respondents said that they’ve had a greater desire to be home, thanks to their new front door. Sixty-seven percent say they have an increased sense of enjoyment when they’re home.

New vinyl windows

Joy score: 9.6

The happiness around new windows mostly comes from the result of improved functionality and livability. Forty-seven percent of respondents said they were motivated to update their windows to improve their home’s energy efficiency, and 23% want to upgrade worn-out surfaces, finishes, and materials.

Source: “2019 Remodeling Impact Report,” National Association of REALTORS® (October 2019)

The living room—that main gathering spot in a home—is a critical part in your showings. Home stagers recently chimed in at Apartment Therapy with their favorite tips for creating a better-staged living room.

One of their biggest pieces of advice centered on the tendency to cram too much furniture into one space. Ensure the living room has proper flow with sizable walkways among furnishings. Nathan Thompson with Pavilion Broadway, a luxury interior design company with staging services in the U.K., told Apartment Therapy he has a rule of thumb to get the distance right: At least an 18-inch walkway between furniture pieces; with larger spaces, he recommends doubling that to 36 inches.

Continue… https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2019/10/02/liven-up-that-living-room-s-look

Bathrooms are getting more technological. Many homeowners say they desire to play music in the bathroom, and they’re adding in voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home to make it easier to do so, new research from the National Kitchen & Bath Association shows. “Bringing voice control into the bathroom is a big request,” David VanWert, a technology integrator in Los Angeles, told Forbes.com. “Being able to ask your house to turn on music, close the shade, and turn off the lights all hands-free is exciting.”
Designers say more clients are wanting to turn their bathrooms into entertainment and information spaces. They want Wi-Fi connectivity, charging stations for their devices, built-in speakers, and screen-enabled mirrors. “Our top bathroom technology requests include lighting control, TV mirrors, waterproof TVs, and voice control,” Jamie Briesemeister, a technology integrator in St. Louis, told Forbes.com. “Digital assistants answer questions like ‘What time is it?’ and ‘What is the weather going to be like today?’ so the homeowner can stay on track and dress appropriately without having to type into a search window.”
Continue… https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2019/09/30/new-tools-make-bathrooms-more-high-tech