Guide · Home care
Spring Home Checklist
A friendly, practical seasonal checklist to help any home wake up from winter, stay dry, breathe easy and get ready for warmer days.
Where to start
- Found a leak, sparking or a gas smell?
Those are emergencies, so call right away. See if you find a problem.
- First warm weekend?
Walk the outside first, then tick through the spring home checklist.
- Hot days coming?
Change the filter and clear about 2 feet around the outdoor cooling unit, or what the maker suggests.
The short version
Spring is the perfect time to check how a home came through winter, inside and out.
Walk the outside: roof from the ground, gutters, downspouts, siding, foundation and grading. Make sure water flows away from the home.
Inside: test alarms, change filters, check under sinks and look for damp spots after the first big rains.
Get cooling ready early, clear around the outdoor unit, and share anything you find in writing so it can be fixed while it is small.
Who handles which tasks can differ by lease and location, so we’d gently encourage a quick look at your local rules. If you ever have questions, we would love to help.
Four simple rules
- 1Walk the outside first
Look at the roof from the ground, the gutters, the siding, the foundation and the grading after winter weather.
- 2Help water go away
Gutters, downspouts and soil that slopes away from the home keep spring rain out of basements and crawl spaces.
- 3Get cooling ready early
Change filters and have cooling equipment checked before the first hot day, not during it.
- 4Share what you find
Small things noticed early, and shared in writing, are usually quick and inexpensive to fix.
Spring home checklist
From the guide’s own checklist. Tick each one as you go. Your ticks stay on this device. These are examples; your home may need others.
All done. I hope your home feels fresh, safe and cared for this spring.
If you find a problem
- Take a breath. Finding something in spring means you found it early, which is a good thing.
- If water is involved, protect belongings and turn off the nearest water valve if you can do so safely. Active leaks, sparking, or a gas smell are emergencies, so call right away.
- Take clear photos of what you found, with something in the frame for scale.
- Share it in writing, including where it is, what you see, and when you first noticed it.
- Keep the area dry and ventilated, and wipe up any standing water.
- Follow up kindly if you haven’t heard back.
You did exactly the right thing.
A few things to avoid
- Please don’t climb onto the roof or up ladders. Looking from the ground or a window is plenty.
- Please don’t pile mulch, soil or firewood against the siding or foundation.
- Please don’t ignore musty smells or new damp spots. Share them so they can be looked at.
- Please don’t start a grill near the home, under eaves or on a covered porch, and check gas grill hoses for cracks before the first cookout, following the maker’s instructions.
For owners: planning the season
- Schedule a cooling system check with a qualified technician before the hot season begins.
- Have gutters cleaned and downspouts checked so water flows well away from the foundation.
- Have the roof, chimney cap, flashing and siding looked over for winter damage, using a professional for anything up high.
- Plan exterior projects like caulking, painting and deck repairs for dry, mild days.
- Have dryer vents cleaned and checked, since lint buildup is a common cause of dryer fires.
- Share a short spring checklist with everyone in the home, with an easy way to report what they find.
Guides that go well with this one
How much do you remember?
4 quick questions from this guide, with a one line why for each. Totally optional, no sign in, and your answers are never saved.
Go deeper with The Perfect Seasonal Home Care Checklist Workbook
Simple, step by step checklists you can write in, one topic at a time, to help any home stay warm, safe and dry through every season.
Keep the full guide handy
The PDF has everything: everyday habits, what to do when something goes wrong, common myths, helpful resources and plenty of real-world tips. Print it, save it or share it with anyone who could use it.
Download the PDFTake it with you
- The Perfect Seasonal Home Care Checklist WorkbookA fillable workbook with a screen version and an ink saver print version.See it in the shop
More guides
This guide shares general information to help you, and is not legal or safety-code advice. Bunklow does not inspect properties.