5 Steps to Prepare Your House and Your Family for the Summer Months

Are you glad that spring is here, yet you are already counting the days until summer? We hear you. Summer time is about letting our inner child come out and have a holiday. To get you in the mood, and to help pass the time, we have rounded up a couple of important steps to prep your house for summer. This way, both you and your home will be perfectly ready for those much-longed-for summer days!

From design style tips to safety precautions, read on for actions to take now for cool and stylish summer living a couple months down the road.

1. Repaint and hose down your house’s exterior.

If you missed doing this during your spring cleaning, now is the time to get out your water hose and give your house a good spray. Windows accumulate a lot of grime, so be sure to get to those along with the sidings.

Warmer weather brings with it an increase in house parties and visitors. So, now is a good time to take care of those paint touch-ups you have been meaning to get to but have been putting off. Yes, it is a bit of a chore, but it will be worth it when you see house envy on the faces of visiting friends and family.

2. Get your HVAC inspected.

Want to spend your summer in cool and comfort? Better get your HVAC inspected and fine-tuned before you begin to use it. Naturally, the temptation is to wait on calling the maintenance guy until there is a real problem. But which would you prefer? Getting any possible issues taken care of now, during relatively cool weather? Or when you are suffering from heat exhaustion and the repair guy can only make it out a week from when you placed the call?

If you know what you are doing, you could likely perform some of the maintenance on your unit yourself. Just be sure to read the owner’s manual before you begin. Getting your HVAC replaced will cost more than a maintenance call, so be careful.

3. Defend your home against invasion by bugs.

When the weather warms, insects come out in full force. This often means an invasion of ants in your house and kitchen cupboards. This year, preempt them by making your move first.

Check for holes, cracks, or other ways that bugs can make it through from the outdoors and into your house. Use calking around the window and door frames to seal up possible cracks.

Put down a pesticide along the outside of your house. If you are not comfortable with the idea of using a chemical pesticide, you can make one using natural ingredients. For instance, garlic and pepper are both able to turn away determined bugs, such as borers, slugs, and beetles.

This two-pronged approach of sealing up cracks and using pesticide around your exterior is one few insects will be able to penetrate.

4. Prepare for extreme summer weather. This year is likely to be another one filled with extreme weather events. Depending on your area, extreme summer weather will mean different things for each family. Ready.gov says that severe weather events often result in hazardous conditions. These conditions create tornadoes, thunderstorms, large hail, damaging winds, flash floods, an increased possibility of wildfires, etc.

Find out what the seasonal dangers are for your area. Take measures to ensure your house can withstand the worst of an extreme weather event. Also, create a contingency plan that the whole family is aware of. Share your plan with relatives and friends, too.

Have an emergency water supply and keep a stock of non-perishable foods. These supplies should be enough to last for at least 3 days. Your go-bags should also include a radio, flashlight, first aid kit, medication, and other essentials that you can’t do without. Other steps to take include signing up for government alerts for your area.

5. Prepare cost-effective methods for staying cool.

Worried about a high HVAC bill this year? Want to cut down on some of that expense this summer? Why not invest in exterior awnings for your windows? Or consider using shrubbery or trees to help provide natural shade. Research foods and summertime treats that can help kids stay cool.

Additionally, an inflatable pool in the lawn can help with those summer days when even the HVAC is not enough to keep your family in comfort.

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