After months of freezing temperatures, ice, and wind, your home needs a proper once-over. Spring is the lowest-stakes season to catch problems — before summer heat and humidity make them worse. Here's what to tackle as temperatures rise.
1. Inspect the roof from the ground (and up close if safe)
Winter ice and wind lift shingles, crack flashing, and clog vents. Scan for missing or curled shingles, sagging gutters, and debris piled in valleys. If you can safely access the roof, check flashing around chimneys and vents. If not, a pair of binoculars from the driveway catches most issues. Catching a leak now prevents the rot and mold that follow a summer storm.
2. Clean and reseat the gutters
Spring pollen, seed pods, and leftover autumn debris combine into a paste that blocks downspouts. Clear everything, flush with a hose, and confirm water runs away from the foundation. Check gutter hangers and reseat any sections pulling away from the fascia — the weight of wet spring debris will tear them loose.
3. Service the air conditioner before the first heat wave
HVAC companies are quiet in spring and slammed once summer hits. Schedule a tune-up early. A tech will clean the condenser coils, check refrigerant levels, test the capacitor, and replace the filter. An AC that runs low on refrigerant works twice as hard and dies years early.
4. Inspect and re-caulk windows and doors
Cold months shrink caulk and expand gaps. Walk the exterior with fresh eyes — anywhere you see daylight, cracked caulk, or peeling sealant, scrape and reapply. Use silicone caulk for wet areas and exterior-grade latex for painted trim. This single task pays for itself in cooling bills by July.
5. Test outdoor faucets and sprinklers
Turn every hose bib on full blast and check for leaks inside the wall or basement ceiling. If a pipe cracked over winter, you'll see it now — not when you're watering tomatoes in July. Run each sprinkler zone and flag heads that are clogged, tilted, or spraying the driveway instead of the lawn.
6. Reseal the deck and fence
Wood expands and contracts all winter, opening cracks that drink water. If water beads up on the deck, the seal is still good. If it soaks in, it's time to clean and reseal. Skip this and you'll be replacing boards in three years instead of fifteen.
7. Check the sump pump
Pour a bucket of water into the sump pit until the pump kicks on. If it doesn't, check the float, the outlet, and the discharge line. Spring rains are the heaviest of the year — a dead pump in spring means a flooded basement once summer storms roll in.
8. Service the lawn mower and trimmer
Change the oil, sharpen the blade, replace the spark plug, and clean the air filter. A dull blade tears grass instead of cutting it, opening the lawn to disease. While you're at it, inspect hoses and fuel lines for cracks that appeared over winter.
9. Inspect the driveway and walkways
Freeze-thaw cycles open cracks in asphalt and concrete. Fill small cracks now before summer sun widens them and weeds take hold. For asphalt, use a crack filler; for concrete, a flexible sealant. Resealing the driveway every few years prevents the costly full replacement.
10. Check window screens and storm doors
Repair torn screens and tighten loose frames before mosquito season arrives. Test storm door closers and latches — a door that slams or won't latch is a summer annoyance that only gets worse.
A printable version
We made a printable seasonal checklist with the spring tasks above plus everything else your home needs across summer, fall, and winter. Grab the free PDF here.
What Nuvelo does with this
Nuvelo turns a generic checklist like this into a personalized 12-month plan for your specific home — your climate, your age of home, your equipment — with reminders that fire at the right week, not a generic "do this in spring" alert. Join the waitlist to get early access when we launch.