Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Home, Office, or Rental Property

3/15/2022 (Permalink)

If you need assistance with any spring-cleaning project, give us a call today!

If you live in the Venice Florida area, you know that springtime comes and goes fast! With upcoming hotter and wetter weather, we transition from the Florida "Dry Season" to the "Wet Season" which occurs from May through October. With the more pleasant weather we enjoy during March and April, this makes for a great time to clean your home and make sure your property is ready for hurricane season, a new renter or homeowner taking residence, Airbnb or VRBO guests, or 'off-season' if you manage a seasonal rental property.

To help you be prepared, here are some cleaning and maintenance tips for your property:

1. Create separate checklists for cleaning and maintenance. Keep these as a record for your knowledge and in case any questions from tenants, guests or future buyers may have. This also allows you to check off work done and make notes of any items needed to complete a task.
2. Start with a visual inspection of both the interior or exterior of the property.
3. For the exterior make sure to check the following:
   1. Check the gutters for clogs and signs of any damage on downspouts, screening, rodent use, or leaks.
   2. Check for water damage. Make sure to check door and window frames, sliding door frames, siding, decking, and if safe to do so and with a buddy nearby, check the roof for any damaged or missing shingles, vents flanges, chimney, etc.
   3. Manage your landscaping to ensure drainage leading away from the home, sprinkler system, and use approved products to take care of any weed, rodent and insect control.
4. For the interior, it is also good to look for any damage, especially those that can be caused by moisture.  
   1. Inspect all plumbing to the best of your ability. If you see any sign of a leak, what appears to be mold, or high moisture reading, do not wait to call a licensed professional.
   2. Check any security system, your HVAC system (make sure to change your filters as recommended, and we highly recommend having your system inspected/maintained at the minimum on a yearly basis), window and door frames from the inside, any caulking, grout, or tile that may need to be cleaned and sealed.
   3. Test the fire alarm system, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and any hurricane protection items (shutters, fasteners, tie downs, etc.) you may have within the home for use during an emergency.
   4. Lastly, look up!! If you see any discoloration on your ceiling or anywhere around your windows, it is a good idea to call a roofing company to inspect the roof just to be sure. There is nothing worse than waiting and finding out it was indeed a roof leak during one of our famous mid-summer torrential downpours.

The most important thing is that if you see something that needs to be repaired, replaced, or inspected further, do not hesitate to call someone for assistance if it is beyond your abilities. By waiting to fix it, you may find yourself in the middle of the rainy season and too late to prevent further damage, costing your even more time and money than if you would have taking care of it immediately.

Happy springtime and enjoy the weather!