It's Cleanup Season

It’s April, and as we have all been told “April showers bring May Flowers”. Well March and April have been very unpredictable over the years…One day we see snow/frost and the next it’s seems like flowers and trees are showing signs of life. Even the birds are confused.  Well, regardless of what mother nature does, taking some time to do some spring cleanup in the yard is definitely on the to-do list. After all, first impressions and curb appeal are extremely important and always a top priority.

Here is a list of a few things to keep in mind when you finally get to business.
Gardens
Remove burlap from trees and shrubs as the warmer weather approaches.
Check shrubs and start to prune away all the dead branches to make room for new growth.
Cut back your perennials and pull out the old annuals (if you haven’t already done so.
Stand back and check things out. Are the beds getting over grown? Is it time to thin the herd or does it look like you’ll need to fill some of the empty spots this year?
Start raking… pick up all the old dead leaves out of gardens and lawns
Gutters
Take a look to see if any of your gutters are loose or leaking and make sure they are free of leaves and debris which may be clogging them.
Make sure your downspouts are still in tack and draining water away from the house and foundation… the last thing you want is water getting into the house and basement.
Roof
Check your shingles…Did any blow off during our horrible winter months? Have years of sun caused your shingles to crack, buckle or come loose? Check the flashing around skylights, vents and chimneys.
Wood 
If you have wood trim on windows, railings, doors etc, now is the time to take a peek and make sure they are not rotting.
Drainage
Talk a walk around the perimeter of your house…the grading should always slope away from the house to keep water from penetrating. If there are low spots make sure to bring in some soil to build up low spots. Chimney
Take a look to see if there are any loose bricks or flashing that may need attention. Foundation Almost every home has some stress or settling cracks in the foundation. Take a look and make sure if they are getting bigger or if there are any new cracks. You will want to address these right away.
Firewood If you are now done with wood for the year, now is the time to move it away from the home and store it in a nice dry location off the ground ready for next year.
Faucets
Survey any exterior faucets and garden hoses for leaks. Many times over winter faucets can suffer damage from the freezing temperatures. Hopefully they were all turned off in the winter.
Air Conditioning
Time to take any covers off and have them serviced. You’ll want to have it serviced to ensure coils and filters are cleaned so it works nice and smoothly in the hot summer months.
Equipment
Now might also be a good time to check the lawn mover and trimmers to ensure all your equipment is tuned up and ready to go.  
Would also be a grea time to check Bicycles for flat tires and chains that need to be oiled.

Keeping the exterior of your home in tip top shape will give friends and visitors a nice feeling when they come to visit and will also help keep resale values higher.