The miracle workers at Chores are back in full swing for summertime, and so is the bustling Jersey Shore. With many returning to NJ for their vacation homes, it’s important to learn how to summerize your home so you can fully enjoy it as the weather warms up.
Handle Utilities & Lawn
Any utilities you had shut off for the winter should be the first thing to check off on your list, along with handling lawn care for a lawn that’s been dormant all winter long. Contact all utility companies when you’re ready to move back in for the summer and get in touch with your lawn maintenance company early so they can fertilize the lawn in the spring and get your grass looking green and healthy all summer long!
Store Offseason Items Away
If you have accessories or items such as drapes or sheets that need to get stored away for the summer, break out your large plastic trunks, under-bed containers, and hangers to put your things away in an organized manner that will make it just as easy to roll it out when summer ends. Label everything you can and replace the sheets and drapes with lighter material so you can enjoy the warm weather and sunlight.
Chores will gladly store everything away neatly for you so you don’t need to worry about finding it again in 6 months!
Bring Plants Outside
If you had any plants that were brought inside for the winter, give them the sunlight they deserve by bringing them back outside! This opens up rooms to give them an airy feel and gives the outside of your house a decorative flair that makes it feel like a vacation home. The same goes for any outdoor furniture–clean it off and bring it outside where it belongs!
Thoroughly Clean The Inside
As your house sat mostly unused for half the year, chances are there was a buildup of dust and it lost a bit of its shine. Taking the time to thoroughly go through each room, dust up the corners, sweep and vacuum, and wipe down the windows will go a long way to making your house look and feel like a summer home again. With a high chance that there were a few bugs and pests that made it into your home throughout the winter, make it a point to call an exterminator and do a preliminary inspection before you move in to take care of any unwanted residents.
Check Your A/C Filter
If your filter wasn’t replaced before the end of last season, double check it to make sure it’s clean. Replacing it or cleaning it, depending on what type of filter you have, is a 5 minute process that can greatly improve the quality of air being circulated in your home when the air conditioning is on. Once its clean, turn it on at around 78 degrees for a “dry run” to make sure everything is in working order. If it’s not blowing cool air, call your local HVAC company.
De-Winterize
Seal your fireplace to keep in cool air, re-open your air registers near the ceiling and close the ones near the floor, turn off any humidifiers, replace your storm windows with screens–make sure that your entire home is set to handle the hot NJ weather for the summer.
Of course, you don’t need to worry about any of this when you contact Chores–we’ll have the whole house ready for you when you come down so you can just unpack your bags and enjoy the Shore!