“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall” -Oscar Wilde
With the kids back in school, it’s time to think about preparing your home for fall. While I know summer is still in full swing in many parts of the country, the crisp days of fall are right around the corner. And while I adore autumn, I know there’s a lot to do around the house before I’ll be able to enjoy the brilliant blaze of color that comes with the Autumnal season.
Over the years, I’ve learned the hard way not to put off preparing for fall. Trust me, you do not want to discover at 3 o’clock in the morning that you forgot to turn off your outside water and, thanks to a hard freeze, your garden burst, and your water pipes are as wide open as an unruly ripe tide. Or you decide to spend the evening in front of a crackling fire only to find yourself filling your home with smoke. The kind that lingers far into spring!
So, even though the autumnal equinox is still eight weeks away, now is a good time to start preparing your home for fall. By spreading out your chores over the next few weeks, you’ll ensure your home is ready for cooler temperatures when they happen. After all, Mother Nature has been an unpredictable lady as of late. So getting fall ready is a must!
13 Steps To Preparing Your Home For Fall:
1. Fertilize Your Lawn:
According to experts, winterizing your lawn starts with a proper fertilizing in the fall. This will help protect it over the winter and help it green up faster-come spring. This is especially important in areas with dry summers since grass tends to stop growing under such extremes. Fertilizing in autumn will give your lawn renewed growth, in terms of both base and roots, ensuring your lawn is thick and healthy for next summer. This is also a great time of year to patch your lawn and reseed any patches that have been damaged by the harsh rays of the sun.
2. Get Your HVAC Serviced:
If your trusty AC has been faithfully chugging along all summer, now’s the time to give it a thorough clean before putting it to bed for the season. Be sure to clean the coils first. Then once your coils are clean and dry, clean and/or replace your filters (for both your AC and furnace) before switching your thermostat to heat settings. This also goes for window AC units as well. Finally, be sure to make sure all vents are uncovered and have been vacuumed to prevent trapped allergens and spores from being redirected around your home this fall allergy season at home.
3. Clean Your Gutters:
I freely admit, cleaning the gutters is one of my least favorite chores throughout the year. For my husband as well. So to prevent clogged gutter, foundation damage, and the death to beloved landscaping, we work in a pair twice a year to clear out our gutters. Taking all collected debris into our compost bin for disposal. Now for those who may not like this option, many local contractors provide such services as well. Whatever option you chose, don’t skip out on this murky chore before hurricane season starts this month!
4. Drain And Store Your Lawn Equipment:
Over time, unused gas goes through chemical changes which lead to gum and other harmful deposits that can destroy your lawn equipment. So after you’ve given your lawn a final once-over for the season, including having your blades cleaned are sharpened, make sure you drain the tanks of your lawn mower, leaf blower, pressure washer, and weed eater.
5. Drain Outdoor Faucets And Sprinklers:
Fall is the season when you will want to disconnect your outdoor hoses, turn off the outdoor water supplies, check to see if your connections and water splitters are intact, weather-proof any rain barrels and spouts, and then open your external faucets and drain them all of the excess water. Once drained, properly store your hoses.
6. Clean Your Chimney:
When I think of chimney cleaning I always picture Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins, his face covered with soot. “Chim-chim-e-ny, chim-chim-e-ney, chim, chim, cheroo aside,” there’s nothing charming about filling your home with soot and carbon monoxide because you haven’t had your chimney cleaned. Even gas fireplaces need their chimneys cleaned and inspected to ensure there are no bird or squirrel nests blocking the flue, and electric units also need a throughout the inspection. This job is best left to pros, and the cost runs around $100-200.
7. Get Your Ice Melt Ready:
While I live in the deep south, and we don’t often get a tremendous amount of snow, we still have plenty of cold weather storms each winter. Which is why we purchase several bags of ice melt each August to keep our home stocked up for the seasons to come. And growing up, when I lived up north, September was the month my family had our snowblower serviced each year. Steps that help ensure you won’t be left out in the cold when you need snow-ready tools this coming winter!
8. Stock up on candles
When it comes to my homes indoor spaces, there’s still preparing that’s needed before the first decorations of fall come out of storage. And by preparedness, I mean securing not only my homes safety but happiness, warmth, and coziness too! Which is why I love bringing instances of hygge into my home each fall. Starting with stockpiling warm, inviting candles.
Because nothing creates a warm, cozy home like the glow of beautiful fall scented candles. I prefer earthy fall scents, including sandalwood and spicy cinnamon. I also like to pick up white, glass pillar candles and portable candle lighters, both available at your local dollar store, to store for hurricane season power outages too.
Either way, the diligence in stocking up on your favorite candles now will pay dividends for many months to come!
9. Launder your winter linens
Nothing says fall to me more than warm, cozy, crochet throws, knitted pillow covers, flannel sheets, down covers, and throw blankets galore! But before I can enjoy these cold weather cuddles, I make sure to have them laundered properly in the fall. After laundering, I love to bring out these gems into my home. From flannel blankets hung on my ladder rack to layers added to my bed, I always feel cozier when my linens are freshly laundered each season!
And if you are in the mood for a few extra hygge touches around the house this season, consider checking out Wikibuy. With Wikibuy, you can score coupon codes, loyalty rewards, and better offers from sellers with each purchase you make.
I use their Chrome extension to find the lowest prices available when it comes to buying linens, rugs, small appliances, and housewares I need each fall. Because when you use the service when the community of like-minded buyers knows a lower price is available at another store, you’ll be notified, automatically, right on the product page from stores you love and Wikibuyers also earn loyalty rewards at stores like Walmart, eBay, and Neiman Marcus. The credits you earn create real discounts.
10. Create a fall book list
When it comes to Hygge, it’s all about the little things in life. Which is why I love to start my season with a reading list. This list contains books from a myriad of sources, ranging from my local library, free kindle books, and even classic audiobooks. Then, all the physical titles, are added to a bedside table for easy reading this coming season and digital titles are added to my kindles and iPad in equal measure. And I have no trepidation in telling you that the one hour I set aside each night to reading help relax my mind and help me sleep better each evening at home!
11. Curate comfortable clothes
Each fall, I make sure to look through my house clothes to make sure they are still as cozy as ever! And if any piece is beyond mend, I then replace them by investing in quality cotton robes, pajama sets, sweat suits, and jumpers. Always making sure to shop slower, and second-hand first! My most important rule? Choosing looser fitting, soft clothing in natural blends.
12. Clean your coffee and tea appliances
Each fall, I enjoy a wide assortment of DIY coffee and tea drinks at home. So before the season starts I make sure to clean my coffee and tea-related small appliances at home. This cleaning and maintenance include:
- Changing the filter in the Keurig machine
- Thoroughly cleaning out my espresso maker
- Steam clean my coffee tampers
- Soak my french press to remove any stains or deposits
- Sanitize my tea steepers
- Clean out all coffee carafes
- Cleaning out the electric kettle and heating pad
- Deep clean my coffee cups, Irish coffee mugs, and travel cups
13. Make a fall shopping list
Each fall, I prowl throughout my pantry to make sure I have everything on hand for the fall and winter season. I like to stock up on products like:
- Organic teas and coffee
- Dry beans
- Spices (cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, allspice, turmeric, nutmeg, and black peppercorns)
- Maple syrup
- Hot cocoa
- Walnuts
- Steel cut oats
- Balsamic vinegar
- Dried cranberries
- Canned organic pumpkin
Foods that help me pull together my weekly meal plans, create flawless instapot meals, and to keep my body nourished and active during the fall and winter SAD season. All foods that are affordable can be purchased in bulk, help me to feel that hygge vibe all season long, and can be picked up through free local pick-up!
So, friends, that’s it, my 13 steps to making your home fully prepared and cozy for the upcoming fall season. Remember that it’s all about the small things in life and capturing moments that bring you happiness. So cozy up, light a candle, make a fall to-do list, and then when you’re done, enjoy a little Hygge in your life this fall.