The Fall Home Maintenance Checklist Utah Homeowners Shouldn’t Ignore

September is one of the best times to give your home a little attention before Utah's colder weather arrives.

A few simple maintenance projects now can help prevent expensive repairs later—and some of them can also protect the value of your home.

1. Check Your Roof and Gutters

Look for missing or damaged shingles and clean leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts. Make sure water is being directed away from your foundation.

2. Disconnect and Protect Outdoor Faucets

Before our first hard freeze, disconnect garden hoses and make sure exterior faucets are properly winterized. A frozen pipe can turn a very small maintenance item into a very expensive repair.

3. Have Your Furnace Serviced

Don't wait until the first really cold night to discover your furnace isn't working properly. Replace your filter and consider having your HVAC system inspected before winter.

4. Look at Your Caulking and Weatherstripping

Check around windows and exterior doors for gaps or deteriorating caulk. Sealing small air leaks can make your home more comfortable and may help with heating costs.

5. Check Your Sprinkler System

Utah homeowners sometimes wait a little too long to think about sprinklers. Schedule your system to be blown out before freezing temperatures become an issue.

6. Take a Walk Around Your Foundation

Look for cracks, drainage problems, standing water, or soil that slopes toward the house. Water is one of the biggest enemies of a home, and small drainage problems are much easier to address before they become big ones.

7. Test Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

As we begin spending more time indoors and using furnaces and fireplaces again, this is a perfect time to replace batteries and make sure every detector is working properly.

One More Thing…

Take a few photos of your home's exterior while everything is still visible.

If a problem develops during the winter, having photos of your roof, foundation, landscaping, fencing, driveway, and exterior can be surprisingly helpful.

After more than 34 years in real estate, I've seen firsthand that the homes that hold their value best aren't necessarily the homes with the fanciest upgrades. They're often simply the homes that have been consistently cared for.

A little maintenance today can save a lot of money tomorrow.

And if you're ever wondering which improvements actually add value to your home—and which ones probably aren't worth the money—I'm always happy to give you my perspective.