Get your home in tip top condition for the summer season.

Summer is a time for entertaining, barbecuing, gardening and enjoying your backyard. It’s also the ideal time to treat your home to some grooming!

You can be excused for neglecting your home during the wet winter months, but come summer you may find it's looking a little worse for wear.

The Australian summer is notorious for scorching heat, flies and bugs, and depending on where you live, it can either be the driest or wettest of seasons!

Here are 11 handy tips to get your home in tip top condition for the summer season.

Tend to you air conditioner

Australian weather can quickly become unbearable in summer, and there’s nothing worse than a sweaty nights sleep! Make sure your air conditioner is in good working order before the temperature starts to rise.

Replace your air filter, remove any debris around your vents, and wipe away dirt from the unit. Doing this regularly is the trick to keeping your energy bills down.

If you don’t have an air con yet, now is the time to invest in the summer sales!

Protect your home from the heat

Install curtains, awnings, roller shades or blinds to block direct sunlight, and invest in insulation to save money in the long run.

If your home is a heat magnet, take a look at the building materials - is your roof or walls a dark colour? These dark shades absorb heat, quickly turning your home into a hot box. Consider painting these areas in a light colour to reflect the heat away from your home.

Seal it up

Even the most efficient of air conditioners can’t do their job if there are leaks in your home.

Conduct your own home energy audit to ensure your money isn’t flying out the window. Seal any drafts in your windows and doors using caulk or weather stripping, and check your insulation for gaps or leaks.

Safety first

Especially in warm weather, stagnant water can be breeding ground for bacteria and parasites.

It may be tempting to jump straight in the pool at the first sign of summer, but after a few months of neglect your pool will need to be cleaned and balanced to make sure the water is safe for swimming.

Bring your garden to life

It’s time to finally make the most of your garden again!

Clean your outdoor furniture of any dust and cobwebs, mow your lawns, sand and sweep the deck, trim your trees, pull your weeds and check your reticulation.

Make sure your summer essentials are in order by cleaning your barbecue and outdoor ovens, and replacing your gas bottles.

To dramatically freshen up your space, you may also want to consider pressure hosing your exterior walls and floor to remove dirt, stains and mildew.

Beat the bugs

Many bugs and insects come out of hibernation for summer - lucky us!

Whether it be ants, flies or mosquitos, they are probably unwelcome house guests.

Check your home is properly sealed, just like you did for the ventilation step, and make sure there are no tears in your fly screen. You can spray the doors, skirting boards and the perimeter of your home with a pesticide, or go for a more natural alternative.

Check in the dark, warm recesses of your home (like under the sinks) for cockroach nests. If you do notice a lot of creepy crawlies, use a bug bomb or call in an exterminator early on, as they can multiply by the hundreds in a short amount of time.

Change Your Ceiling Fan Direction

Did you know many ceiling fans are designed to rotate differently depending on the season?

In winter months, it should rotate clockwise to help shift rising heat. In summer, run your fan counter-clockwise on high to get a cooling breeze going.

Flip the mattress

Flipping the mattress is a good habit to get into at the start of a season, and helps to prolong the life of your bedding, while giving you a good reason to finally clean under that bed.

Stock a first aid kit

We seem to have a lot more energy during the summer months, and this tends to bring with it more bumps and scrapes, especially if you have children. Make sure you have a fully stocked first aid kit, including ointment for insect bites and sunscreen.

Prevent Water Damage

Summer is cyclone season in some areas of Australia!

Unfortunately, this can also come with flooding, so it’s essential that your house is protected if you’re in a danger zone. Seal your doors and windows, test your gutters with a hose, check your ceiling for any early signs of water stains, and make sure there are no dips in our roof where water may collect.

It may seem pedantic, but water damage can be a costly business. It may be worthwhile investing in insurance if you’re area is prone to summer storms.

Think ahead: summer discounts

While it may feel too soon to be planning ahead for the following seasons, many maintenance companies offer exceptional discounts for winter-related maintenance over summer!

It might be worthwhile to look into those tasks like gutter installation and chimney cleaning to take advantage of these savings before it starts to get cool again.

If you'd like to ensure your home is cool for summer, send an enquiry below to chat to one of our comfort experts.