4 Fall Chores for the Seasonal Home

As summer fades into fall, I like to take some time to make sure that I am ready for the upcoming winter. These 4 chores will prepare your home, your gardens and yourself for those shorter days and seasonal delights that are upon us.

Once that first crisp morning of autumn hits, I jump into fall decor mode! I want pumpkins on the doorstep, flannel throws on the sofa and colorful leaves on the mantle. It’s soooo easy to jump into decorating mode, but I have to do these 4 chores first.

Why? Have you ever set out your fall decorations and then tried to clean around them? Not easy to do, my friend.

What do we do when the fall decor comes down? Put up the holiday decorations! When do we make time for fall home maintenance? Now-BEFORE we put up the autumn decor.

Let’s do this!

1. Clean Your House

This one might seem obvious; but before you swap out seasonal decor and welcome holiday guests, take the time to deep clean your house. Similar to spring cleaning, fall cleaning is more intense than just the regular house touch up.

• Start from the top and work your way down.
• Wipe down cabinets and furniture.
• Clean windows, mirrors and light fixtures.
• Sanitize bathrooms and restock vanities.
• Vacuum and wash floors.
• Clean your oven, microwave and refrigerator. Pull the fridge out and vacuum behind it!
• If it wasn’t done recently, have the house pressure washed. I’m always amazed at the difference this makes!

*Free Printable Checklist Below!

Cleaning your house, (especially the surfaces where fall decor will be placed) makes a huge difference. Not only does it prep your house for fall, it also means you’re ready for December’s holiday decorating!

2. Maintain your Home

When you are finished deep cleaning, make sure your house maintenance is up to date. Fall chores are essential to ensure your home stays safe, comfortable, and energy-efficient during the colder months.

• Clean gutters and debris from around the property. Fall leaves can build up quickly depending on your landscape. Clogged gutters can mean uncontrolled water run off around the foundation and subsequent leaks into basements and doors.
• Have a professional inspect and clean your chimney if necessary. Cold weather will be here before we know it and a clean fireplace is a safer fireplace.
• Speaking of fire safety, now’s the time to change those smoke detector batteries and test them. Discuss fire safety plans with the family.
• Now is also the time to have your HVAC tuned up for cold weather and to replace your air filters.
• Schedule dryer vent cleaning as well.

*Free Printable Checklist Below!

Taking care of these tasks in the fall can help avoid costly repairs in the winter, keep your home energy-efficient, and provide peace of mind throughout the season.

3. Prepare Gardens for Winter

Now is also the time to clean up the garden areas and get them ready for the winter season. Proper fall garden maintenance not only keeps your garden tidy, but also sets the stage for strong growth and blooms in the coming year.

• Add shredded leaves to the compost bin or dormant beds as a mulch covering.
• Remove spent annuals and cut back perennials appropriately.
• Amend soil in raised beds with compost/manure.
• Put down fresh mulch if needed.
• Clean up garden tools and equipment for proper storage.
• Adjust your watering schedules and prepare spigots for colder weather.
• Remember your houseplants; check for pests and dead leaves.
• And if you just aren’t ready to say goodbye to summer and planting, take advantage of fall rainy/cool weather and plant some shrubs, trees and/or bulbs.

Read about more winter garden preparation in my post: Putting the Garden Beds to Bed.

*Yet another Free Printable Checklist Below!

It’s never too early to think about spring gardening. Use the fall and winter to prepare, plan and dream about next year’s garden.

4. Mental Health Check Up

You might be surprised to see this on a blog post about fall chores, but I believe it’s important to mention. Times have been difficult for many people since the pandemic. We hear more and more every day about friends and family members searching for therapists, starting medications for anxiety and depression, scrolling through social media platforms and feeling lost and inadequate.

This time of year seems to ramp up those feelings. Goodness knows the shorter days don’t help either!

What brings you happiness? Where do you find joy? For me it’s connecting with my family, garden, home and pets. That’s why I write this blog. I want to share those connections in the hopes that it helps someone else.

I purposely wrote a blog post about my worst gardening season to show my readers that I’m not perfect. My garden is not perfect. Read about my happy failures in The Uprooted Ginger: Failing in the Garden.

Please make the time to reflect, to pray, to check in with friends and family, and take time for yourself. Go outside and breathe the fresh air and reconnect.

That being said, my intentions for this post are to help you transition from summer to fall in a way that’s helpful, not overwhelming.

Adapt these 4 sets of chores to your needs and enjoy the beautiful change of season!

Looking for some easy fall decor ideas? Read my post Less is More Fall Decor at the Lake House.