Cool, crisp air, jewel-toned and crunchy leaves, and pumpkin-spice flavored everything can mean only one thing: another beautiful and cozy autumn has arrived in Kansas City. 2020 has been a bit different, but the arrival of fall in KC is always a colorful visual masterpiece – especially in Brookside!
Ellen Zetmeir has the perfect tips to get your home ready for the cooler days ahead – and for much holiday cheer!
Safety First 
Take time to look around your home and review any safety concerns or maintenance needed before winter weather arrives:
- Replace the batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Restock your emergency kit and be sure to have flashlights, batteries, candles, matches, and extra blankets on hand – power outages happen from time to time!
- If you’ve not done so in a while, this is a good time to have your fireplace inspected and swept.
- Inspect your driveway, sidewalk, front steps and porch for any cracks, breaks or needed repairs. Replace damaged deck boards and fill in asphalt or concrete cracks as freezing moisture will make them worse over the winter.
- Organize your garage, test start your snowblower and or back-up generator if you have one – and know where your winter shovels, boots, and gloves are! (A box of air-activated hand and toe warmers from Costco are an affordable luxury to keep around when a winter storm results in a day of snow shoveling – or afternoon sledding!)
Scrub-a-Dub-Dub 
We’re all familiar with spring cleaning, but a deep clean for your home in the fall is just as refreshing – especially when several months of closed-window weather are on the horizon. Nothing is as cozy as a clean, safe and warm environment. You might consider:
- Shampooing carpets to wash out summer grime.
- Cleaning gutters to ensure proper drainage.
- Washing your windows and doors along with their corresponding screens. (Ellen has a top contractor with professional experience in expert window washing! Check out Mike’s Window and Gutter Cleaning to get your windows and gutters prepped and ready for this winter season!)
- Running hot water continuously down your kitchen drains (as much as a water heater full) will help loosen residual cooking grease and soap scum from the kitchen drain pipes.
- Using a tree root control product is just a fact of life when living in a neighborhood of old sewer lines and gorgeous old trees. Euston’s Hardware always has a selection of products to maintain sewer lines. If you did not have your sewer line inspected prior to purchasing your home it is very important to know what is going on under your yard. Of course, Ellen has a guy for that and does all her work with The Sewer Doctors.
Seal in the Heat
Winter drafts have a way of sneaking in chilling everything from your nose to your toes; catch the drafts before they become a nuisance by sealing your house in the fall. Also:
- Clean and reverse the ceiling fans in your home.
- Consider hanging heavier drapes in front of windows to help keep warm air in and the chilly breezes out.
- Inspect your roof for any loose or damaged shingles; and, make sure there are no cracks if you have tile and get ahead of any small leaks – they tend to expand over time!
- Inspect door and window weather stripping and replace any worn pieces.
Straighten up Outside
Address any lawn or gardening issues before they become problems.
- Rake up the heaviest of leaves. A blanket of leaves over your lawn can lead to fungus, rodent damage and also may shield your grass from its favorite ally: sunshine! If you need a hand with your leaves, contact Ellen’s favorite landscape guys at Envision. You just rake or blow your leaves to the curb and Envision Lawn and Tree will drive buy with their vacuum-equipped truck to whisk way your leafy problems in almost no time! Request their leaf pickup service this fall and you’ll never bag leaves again!
- Inspect and prune trees and shrubs, keeping an eye out for dead limbs and branches that might take out a power line, car window, or even part of a roof when overwhelmed by the weight of heavy snow or ice.
- Drain your garden houses and store them in the garage or shed that is safe from freezing temperatures.
The Look of Fall is Half the Fun
Give your outside a bit of love with autumn cheer!
- Refill bird feeders to welcome friendly flying visitors (just make sure to keep the squirrels away!).
- Fertilize and seed your lawn – even though grass doesn’t show much during the winter, this is a great time for roots to strengthen below the surface.
- Plant bulbs that will brighten your lawn come springtime. Plan ahead and plant now and you can expect daffodils, tulips or lilies toward the end of winter months. (It’s always good to have a little something new and bright to look forward to at the end of winter!)
- Set out a new front doormat, check your porch lighting, and hang a festive autumn fall or holiday wreath on the front door!
Need a hand? Call Ellen
Whether Ellen was your Realtor or not, Ellen Zetmeir likes to make homeowning “EZ”! If you’ve not visited the “I’ve Got a Guy” section of her website – complete with video interviews with some of the most trusted contractors in the city sharing their homeowner tips, you’re missing out! Ellen is your go-to gal when it comes to professional and personal homeowning advice. Have a home question? That’s EZ, always make Ellen your first call.
