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4 Easy-Peasy Must-Do’s for Homeowners in December
As December rolls in and the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to tackle a few simple tasks that can brighten your home and save you money in the new year. Here are four easy steps to get you started:
#1 Clean Light Bulbs and Fixtures
Two great reasons to clean your light bulbs: You want as much light in your house as you can get as the days grow shorter, and you’ll save money.
Dirty bulbs don’t provide as much light as clean ones, but they do use the same amount of electricity.
Wipe bulbs with a cloth dampened by a mix of 1 ounce of dish soap, one-quarter cup of white vinegar, and three cups of water. Get to it Dec. 1 so you’re ready for the curtain fall on the shortest day of this year: Dec. 21.
#2 Evaluate Homeowner’s Insurance
The holidays. You love them, but they do seem to eat up more cash than other times of year. Sure, you can scrounge around for change under your couch cushions, but that’s not going to offset much.
Why not get a home insurance checkup? Call your agent to go over the type of coverage you have, how much you really need, and how you can lower your premiums before your next monthly installment.
#3 Pack a Home Emergency Kit
The last thing you want during the holidays is for an emergency to chill your family’s cheer. Prepare for power outages and weather-related emergencies with an easy-to-find emergency kit.
Some items to include are bottled water, a hand-crank radio, a flashlight, batteries, a portable charger for your phone, warm blankets, and of course, a first-aid kit to patch up any boo-boos. Singing carols ’round the flashlight may not be ideal, but it’ll beat trying to celebrate in the dark.
#4 Buy Holiday Lights (After Dec. 25)
It’s tough to think about next Christmas when you’re still stuffed from a holiday dinner with all the trimmings. But think you must if you want to save on next year’s holiday. From Dec. 26 through year’s end, big-box stores try to clear the shelves of all that glitters.
A Real Christmas Tree vs an Artificial One: Costs and Cons
As the holidays near, deciding between a live or artificial Christmas tree can be tough. Live trees are better for the environment since they’re renewable and recyclable.
Live Christmas trees are better for the environment than artificial Christmas trees: They’re renewable and recyclable, unlike that petroleum-derived faux model.
In terms of price there’s not much difference between the real and fake varieties, unless you get really fancy with an artificial one. Depending on where you live and the size and species of tree you buy, the real deal runs about $20 to $150 annually.
You can pick up a basic fake Christmas tree for less than $20 at some big-box retailers. Prices go up from there to as much as $430 for a deluxe, already-lit number. Buy a used artificial tree, and you’ll save — plus have less impact on the environment.
All I Want for Christmas is the Greenest of Trees. What Do I Look For?
- Visit a local Christmas tree farm. Christmas tree farmland often can’t be used for other crops, says Brian Clark Howard, an environmental reporter. When the tree farmers plant new trees, the growing young trees combat climate change by absorbing carbon. And tree farms conserve soil — farmers only till the land once every six or eight years. If you buy from a Christmas tree lot, your tree was likely shipped from Oregon or North Carolina, and getting it to you created pollution, Howard says.
- Do business with a local Christmas tree farmer who grows organic Christmas trees without pesticides. Whether an organic tree costs more depends on where you live.
Fall Yard Cleanup: 8 Shortcuts for Easy Care
When searching for your dream home, you might discover it comes with more yard space than you’ve ever had — or had to maintain. These fall yard cleanup tips will help you create and enjoy a low-maintenance yard all year round.
#1 Design for Perennials with Different Blooming Seasons
Warmer-weather seasons seem to get all the landscape planning love, but the secret to a beautiful yard is to plant for every season. Plant perennials rather than annuals to ensure the plants will come back year over year. Mix things up by interspersing your favorite spring and summer plants with perennials that are evergreen, change leaf color, or bloom in the off-season.
With the different bloom schedules, your yard will stay visually interesting without your having to purchase and plant new flowers every season.
Colorful fall and winter options. Here are some interesting perennials to consider planting, depending on your hardiness zone:
- Mums
- Japanese maple
- Camellia (pictured above)
- Holly bush
- Winterberry holly
- Yellow and red dogwood
- Hellebore
- Some varieties of hydrangea
- Beautyberry
- Sumac
- Russian sage
A Fall Checklist of 10 Things You Gotta Do Before Winter Sets In
As summer’s warmth fades into a distant memory and you find yourself reaching for hoodies instead of shorts, it’s the perfect time to take care of a few easy tasks. These chores will make your winter more comfortable and help you avoid unpleasant surprises when spring arrives.
This fall checklist will help:
#1 Clean and Stow Your Mower
If you’re not familiar with fuel stabilizer, get to know it. If a mower sits with gas in its tank for months, the gas will slowly deteriorate, and that can damage internal engine parts. Fuel stabilizer (about $12 for a 10-ounce bottle) prevents gas from degrading.
Add stabilizer to your gasoline to help keep spare gas in good condition over the winter. And top off your mower tank with stabilized gas before you store the mower for the winter. Run the mower for five minutes to make sure the stabilizer reaches the carburetor.
Another lawn mower care method is to run your mower dry before stowing it.
1. When the mower is cool, remove the spark plug and pour a capful of engine oil into the spark plug hole.
2. Pull the starter cord a couple of times to distribute the oil. That will keep pistons lubricated and ease the start come spring.
3. Turn the mower on its side and clean out accumulated grass and gunk from the mower deck.
#2 Remove Garden Hoses from Faucets
Remove garden hoses from outdoor faucets. Leaving hoses attached can cause water to back up in the faucets and in the plumbing pipes just inside your exterior walls. If freezing temps hit, that water could freeze, expand, and crack the faucet or pipes. Make this an early fall priority so a sudden cold snap doesn’t sneak up and cause damage.
Turn off any shutoff valves on water supply lines that lead to exterior faucets. That way, you’ll guard against minor leaks that may let water enter the faucet.
While you’re at it, drain garden hoses and store them in a shed or garage.
#3 Drain Your Sprinkler System
It’s time to drain your irrigation system. Even buried irrigation lines can freeze, breaking pipes and sprinkler heads.
- Turn off the water to the system at the main valve.
- Shut off the automatic controller.
- Open drain valves to remove water from the system.
- Remove any above-ground sprinkler heads and shake the water out of them, then replace.
If you don’t have drain valves, hire an irrigation pro to blow out the system pipes with compressed air. A pro is worth the $100 to $250 charge to make sure the job is done right and to avoid burst pipes and sprinkler head repairs in the spring.
#4 Seal Air Leaks
Grab a couple of tubes of color-matched exterior caulk ($8.50 for 10 fluid ounces) and make a trip around your home’s exterior, sealing cracks between trim and siding, around window and door frames, and where pipes and wires enter your house. Preventing moisture from getting inside your walls is one of the least expensive — and most important — of your fall maintenance jobs. You’ll also seal air leaks that waste energy.
Pick a nice day when temps are above 50 degrees so caulk flows easily.
#5 Degunk Your Gutters
Clogged rain gutters can cause ice dams, which can lead to expensive repairs. After the leaves have fallen, clean your gutters to remove leaves, twigs, and gunk. Make sure gutters aren’t sagging and trapping water; tighten gutter hangers and downspout brackets. Replace any worn or damaged gutters and downspouts.
If you find colored grit from asphalt roof shingles in your gutters, beware. That sand-like grit helps protect shingles from the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun. Look closely for other signs of roof damage (#6, below). It may be time to replace your roof.
Your downspouts should extend at least five feet away from your house to prevent foundation problems. If they don’t, add downspout extensions, which cost $6 to $17 each.
#6 Eyeball Your Roof
If you have a steep roof or a multistory house, stay safe and use binoculars to inspect your roof from the ground. Look for warning signs: shingles that are buckled, cracked, or missing; rust spots on flashing. Replace any loose, damaged, or missing shingles immediately.
Black algae stains are just cosmetic, but masses of moss and lichen could signal roofing that’s decayed underneath. Call in a pro roofer for a $100 to $400 evaluation.
A plumbing vent stack usually is flashed with a rubber collar — called a boot — which may crack or loosen over time. A boot will wear out before your roof does, so make sure it’s in good shape. A pro roofer will charge $250 to $500 to replace a boot, depending on how steep your roof is.
#7 Direct Your Drainage
Take a close look at the soil around your foundation and make sure it slopes away from your house at least six vertical inches over 10 feet. That way, you’ll keep water from soaking the soil around your foundation, which could lead to cracks and leaks.
Be sure soil doesn’t touch your siding.
#8 Check Your Furnace
Schedule an appointment with a heating and cooling pro to get your heating system checked and tuned up for the coming heating season. You’ll pay $70 to $130 for a checkup. An annual maintenance contract costs $150 to $500 annually, depending on the service contract terms and conditions.
Change your furnace filters, too. This is a job you should do every two months anyway, but if you haven’t, now’s the time. If your HVAC includes a built-in humidifier, make sure the contractor replaces that filter.
#9 Prune Plants
The best time to prune plants and trees is late fall, when the summer growth cycle has ended. Your goal is to keep limbs and branches at least three feet from your house so moisture won’t drip onto roofing and siding, and to prevent damage to your house exterior during high winds.
For advice on pruning specific plants in your region, check with your state extension service.
#10 Give Your Fireplace a Once-Over
To make sure your fireplace is safe, grab a flashlight and look up inside your fireplace flue to make sure the damper opens and closes properly. Open the damper and look up into the flue to make sure it’s free of birds’ nests, branches, leaves, or other obstructions. You should see daylight at the top of the chimney.
Check the firebox for cracked or missing bricks and mortar. If you spot any damage, order a professional fireplace and chimney inspection. A chimney inspection costs $100 to $250 minimum, including a basic chimney sweep cleaning. This fee includes a standard fireplace or wood stove inspection.
Your fireplace flue should be cleaned of creosote buildup every other year. A professional chimney sweep will charge $150 to $250 for the service.
