Owning a home these days is certainly not a walk in the park. Most first home buyers often don’t know the work required to keep their newly purchased homes in shape and avoid costly repair and maintenance charges in the future.

They also focus more on improvements inside the house and often forget the outdoors, not realizing they complement each other and make a huge difference in the overall look and feel of your property.

We understand that you may be clueless about starting an outdoor maintenance routine, especially if you have never had to care for a space or property before.

This article will guide you through the things you need to do to maintain your home’s outer areas.

1.   Know When to Call in The Pros

You have already invested a lot to get here, so it wouldn’t be worth it to let all your efforts go to waste. At times, DIY methods may not be the most effective to take care of your outdoor maintenance needs. You may also be too busy or exhausted to take care of your outdoor space. This is no cause for alarm. If need be, leave the more challenging tasks like pest control, hardscaping, decluttering the garage, or tree removal to a pro.

Besides saving you time and energy, it also ensures that problems are detected and fixed early enough to give your outdoor space the look and care it deserves. Ensure that you do your research to hire the right person for the job.

2.   Take Care of Your Outdoor Lighting

It’s natural to depend on natural lighting during the day to showcase the beauty of the outdoors. However, when it gets dark, do you pick up your flashlight when you need to head out? First, you wouldn’t even feel secure heading out no matter how well you’ve fenced your yard and the darkness also increases chances of tripping. Just like taking care of your car’s headlights, you should handle your outdoor lighting with the same care and seriousness.

You can invest in energy-saving lighting to keep your utility bills low. You can install a porch light or a spotlight on your house that will cast light into the yard at night, as well as string lights on any fence or fixture for practical and aesthetic appeal. Conduct a light checkup every six months to ensure that the wiring is in place and that all the lighting systems are in place to enable the lights to function as they should. 

3.   Take Care of Your Lawn

Different regions experience different climate conditions, and you’re also dealing with different grass types depending on where you are. Also, does your yard get sufficient sunlight? Do your research to give your yard the level of care it needs. With this in mind, here’s how to do it:

• Invest in a good lawnmower

• Trim the grass regularly especially during high growth months to keep your lawn healthy

• Use fertilizers to replenish lost nutrients and boost your lawn

• Find a suitable provider in your area for regular lawn maintenance (like Crewcut!) if you can’t do it yourself

4.   Protect Your Outdoors from Invading Pests

Pests can be a real menace to any outdoor space. It can be easy to ignore the pests invading your outdoors until the day you need to enjoy your space and then realise that you can’t! Well, there could be several things attracting them to your grounds, some including; vegetation, standing water, rubbish, clogged gutters, woodpiles, etc.  

You must identify what is attracting them to your yard and deal with them as soon as possible before they build up. It’s wise to conduct a routine pest control check with the help of professionals to give the best treatment methods for them.

5.   Seal Gaps and Cracks

Your outdoor home space is susceptible to frequent changes in weather that can easily damage essential surfaces. Of course, the durability of the caulking or sealing solely depends on how old the building is, but still, you should inspect these at least once a year. Sealing those gaps certainly saves you extra utility costs, shields your interiors from pests, and can extend the life of your home’s internal structure.

Pay close attention, particularly to your windows and doors, and seal any holes or cracks that may have developed over time. One way of dealing with the cracks on your windows is by fitting blinds inside glass. This clever move will undoubtedly deal with those gaps, prevent your windows from wear and tear, keep your house cool, and perhaps increase your property’s value.

6.   Clear the Gutters

Clogged gutters are another big menace to your home. They can lead to severe home damage, especially to the foundation, structure, and an environment for mould in the basement, breeding ground for pests, etc. Clogged gutters can easily let in water into your home if not dealt with from time to time. Therefore, it’s essential to do a periodical routine clean-up and more so during autumn because of the fallen leaves. Remember that there are health and safety protocols involved in gutter cleaning at a certain height so make sure to check. Better yet, contact professional gutter cleaners to do it for you.

7.   Clean the Exteriors

Everyone sees and feels the freshness of a clean space. We mainly focus on indoor cleanliness and forget that the outdoors need the same attention. The outdoors don’t need frequent cleaning though. A more suitable alternative would be to break down the cleaning tasks into smaller tasks and tackle each after 1-2 weeks.

Cleaning up your stuff also includes decluttering your garage. The garage is where almost everything that’s not needed gets thrown to, and with time, it gets that unpleasant and cluttered look. So, don’t forget about it. Here are additional to do’s to clean up your home’s outdoors:

• Clean the rubbish bin to get rid of unwanted foul smells

• Give your siding a power wash, preferably with a pressure washer

• Clean your outdoor furniture, BBQ grill, and entertainment spots

• Give your fencing a regular cleanup

8.   Do an Exterior Repaint

Every home is different, and painting needs may vary, but certain aspects may help you know when it’s time to do an exterior repaint like:

• Home colour fade

• Cracked paint and caulk

• Colour choice

• Time factor

You’re advised to do a house repaint every 5-10 years since it also involves a lot of work. The ideal weather to repaint would also be in early summer and early fall to ensure the paint dries up properly with no surprises from a drizzle or a thunderstorm.

Anyone can be a homeowner, but how well you maintain your home tells a lot about you as an individual. It sure can be overwhelming to make that perfect, so don’t hesitate to call in the professionals to help you out once in a while. It’s your home, and you will be happy that you did it.

About the Guest Author

Jenn Walker is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast, and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey.