Seasonal home maintenance: a quarterly checklist

## The rule of quarterly maintenance

Homes fail slowly, then all at once. The way to keep the "all at once" from happening on a Tuesday at 2 a.m. is a boring quarterly walkthrough. Twenty minutes, four times a year. Nothing on this list requires a specialist. All of it requires that you actually do it.

Winter (Dec–Feb)

• Replace HVAC filter
• Test every smoke and CO detector; replace batteries
• Insulate exposed pipes if you're in a freeze zone
• Drip faucets on nights below 20°F
• Confirm the main water shutoff valve turns
• Check the water heater relief valve for leaks
• Clear snow away from the dryer vent exterior cap
• Inspect weather stripping on exterior doors
• Test the garage door auto-reverse safety

Spring (Mar–May)

• Replace HVAC filter
• Have HVAC serviced before cooling season
• Clean gutters and downspouts
• Inspect roof from the ground with binoculars — look for missing shingles, sagging, moss
• Check attic for water stains after winter
• Reseal caulking around tubs, sinks, and windows
• Test sprinkler system and repair broken heads (or book a sprinkler check)
• Power wash driveway and patio (or book pressure washing)
• Inspect deck for loose boards and rusted fasteners
• Clean and store storm windows

Summer (Jun–Aug)

• Replace HVAC filter
• Vacuum refrigerator coils (this alone can add years to fridge life)
• Clean range hood filter
• Test GFCI outlets in every kitchen and bath
• Inspect washing machine hoses for bulging or cracks (they fail catastrophically)
• Check attic ventilation
• Trim tree branches away from the roof
• Inspect exterior paint on south-facing walls (they weather fastest)
• Book any interior painting during summer before humidity spikes

Fall (Sep–Nov)

• Replace HVAC filter
• Have HVAC serviced before heating season
• Clean gutters again after leaf drop
• Blow out sprinkler lines if you're in a freeze zone
• Inspect chimney and have it swept if you burn wood
• Test smoke and CO detectors, replace batteries at the daylight-savings change
• Check window and door caulking one more time before winter
• Drain and store garden hoses
• Rake leaves away from the foundation
• Inspect the roof one more time before storm season

The three failures you never want to have

Everything above is prevention. But three specific failures cause more emergency repair calls than everything else combined:

• Burst pipe from a frozen line. Prevention: drip faucets when it's below 20°F, keep the heat above 55°F even if you're away, insulate exposed pipes.
• Water heater rupture. Prevention: check the pressure relief valve annually, replace the anode rod every 3–5 years, replace the whole unit at 10 years even if it's still working.
• Washing machine hose burst. Prevention: replace rubber hoses with steel-braided ones every 5 years, turn off the water shutoff behind the washer if you're away for more than a weekend.

Each of these three failures can cause $10,000–$30,000 in damage if you're not home when it happens. All three are prevented by five minutes of maintenance you almost certainly aren't doing.

The 90-minute quarterly job

If you can't get through the whole list, do these five things every quarter and you'll prevent the majority of avoidable failures:

1. HVAC filter 2. Smoke and CO detectors tested 3. Water heater pressure relief valve checked 4. Washing machine hoses inspected 5. Ten-minute walk around the exterior looking for anything that doesn't look right

When to call in a pro

Some of this is genuinely worth outsourcing:

• HVAC service — twice a year, before cooling and before heating
• Gutter cleaning — twice a year if you have trees
• Roof inspection — once a year, and after any major storm
• Sprinkler check — once a year in spring
• Pressure washing — once a year in spring

Fixly has sprinkler checks, pressure washing, and yard cleanup as fixed-price SKUs. Book what you need, get the actual bill up front, no hourly surprises.

The compounding value

A home that gets 20 minutes of maintenance every quarter is worth measurably more than a home that gets none. Buyers can tell. Inspectors can tell. Insurance companies increasingly can tell. Spend the two hours a year now or spend the emergency repair bill later.