by Minnesota Realtors Association
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Spring is the season of new growth. After a long, icy winter, there’s nothing quite like the warmth of the springtime sun. Here in Minnesota, we sometimes find it hard to predict exactly when spring will kick into full gear (think blizzards in April), but when it does arrive, we welcome it with open arms. 

Spring is also when we prepare our yards for gardening and outside entertainment, perform quarterly maintenance, and freshen up the inside of our homes.

This list might look exhaustive (and exhausting), but not all the items will apply to every home.

Quarterly maintenance

• Change or clean your furnace filters, depending on the recommended frequency.
• Clean or replace filters on any other mechanicals or appliances that have them, such as dehumidifiers, A/C units, or range hoods.
• Test all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Change the batteries according to the manufacturer’s specs.
• Turn over or rotate mattresses.

Freshen the interior

• Open those windows and air out the house.
• Remove storm windows, if you have them, and install screens after hosing or wiping them down.
• Wipe down the blades of ceiling fans.
• Close the fireplace damper.
• Get rugs or carpet cleaned if necessary. Consider having the sofa steam cleaned.
• Wash or replace pillows (most are only meant to last for one to three years).
• Replace warm-weather bedding with lighter coverlets.
• Have the air ducts cleaned (if needed).

The basement

• Check carefully for any signs of water intrusion that can occur from snow melt.
• Make sure the sump pump is working (if you have one).
• Pull your dehumidifiers out of storage, if you use them, and clean out the tank.
• Turn on the exterior water faucets. 

Get the exterior in gear

• Attach your garden hoses.
• Pressure-wash the patio and deck, and hose down outdoor furniture (pressure washers can be rented from most hardware stores).
• Hose down the siding, inspecting for damage as you do.
• Pressure-wash the driveway.
• Have the gutters professionally cleaned.
• Wash the window exteriors.
• Sweep out the garage.
• Detail the grill and check to see if it is working properly.

Get ready for gardening

• Rake the lawn, aerate it, and overseed it as necessary
• Try not to rake up wet leaves until the temperatures have exceeded 50 degrees for at least seven consecutive days. Worms, insects, and new plant shoots need the leaf cover until it gets warmer. When you do rake them up, consider using the leaves as mulch.
• Clean outdoor ponds and fountains before filling them with water.
• Hang hummingbird feeders—spring is when they begin to appear.
• Shop for soil and mulch.
• Sharpen gardening tools and test the lawnmower.
• Plant your cool season veggies, such as onions, beets, lettuce, spinach, and carrots.
• Plant rose roots.
• Prune grape vines.
• Fertilize any woody ornamental shrubs.

Phew! Once all this hard work is done, your final task is to pull out a lawn chair, settle in with a tall glass of iced tea, and soak in all the fresh spring air that you can.​

In this little video, Brianna K does a great job demonstrating final house cleaning tips to be sure your home shines for showings. Too big of a job for you at the moment? Need help with lining up a cleaning service? I can help you with that. If you are thinking of buying or selling a home, or both, please contact me. I'd love to be your REALTOR®.

While the holidays provide us with lots of ways to enjoy our homes, they can also present some risks if we don't exercise care. Fun can turn into disaster if we aren't thoughtful about candles, decorations, ladders, lights, extension cords, Christmas trees, fireplaces, and space heaters. Here are twelve tips for keeping your family and home safe, and your holidays happy.

Fall is just around the corner, so it's time to be thinking about pre-winter home maintenance and getting things done while the weather allows. Have you been considering selling your home and/or purchasing a new house? There's still time to get that done this fall too! I'd love to have an opportunity to talk with you about that. Let's set up a time to meet.

This guy is a professional sod farmer. He's got some great advice for taking care of your lawn.

Is your laundry room posing a potential threat to the safety of your home?
The AAA LIVING website recently posted some practical advice for preventing dryer fires. Here are some highlights:

About 4 percent of home fires involve a clothes dryer or washing machine, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The leading cause of these fires? A failure to clean the appliances. So before you take your next load of laundry for a spin, follow this guide to ensure your home is protected from potential dryer fires.

What causes dryer fires?
As clothes dry, some fibers break free—creating flammable lint. While your dryer’s lint vent captures most of the material, some escapes, getting caught in the machinery or in the hose leading away from the dryer. As the lint builds up, it can prevent the hot air from escaping—making your dryer even hotter and potentially igniting the lint.

With these six tips, you can help put out dryer fires before they even begin.
Have a pro install your dryer: Hiring a professional will help to ensure the correct electrical plug and outlet are used, and that the dryer is connected properly.

Clean, clean, clean: Keeping things tidy is one of the best ways to help prevent dryer fires. Remove lint from the filter before and after each load of laundry, and clean it with a nylon brush every six months (or more often if it becomes clogged). Also clean the back of the dryer where lint can build up.

Pay attention to the pipe: Twice a year, clean lint from the exhaust duct that leads from the back of your dryer to the outside of your home.

Clear the area around your dryer: Nearby clutter could make the dryer hotter, and items that can burn when hot shouldn’t be on or near the dryer either.

Be aware of the items you’re drying: If your clothes have anything flammable like gasoline or cooking oil on them, wash them more than once and dry them outside or in a well-ventilated room. Also don’t use the dryer for anything with foam, rubber or plastic, such as a bathroom rug with a rubber backing.

Don’t run your dryer when you’re asleep or away: You want to be alert and nearby in case a dryer fire begins. And if you’ll be away for an extended time, unplug your dryer.

Signs your dryer has a problem...
If your clothes are still damp at the end of a typical drying cycle, this may indicate that the lint screen or the exhaust duct is blocked. Check the outside dryer vent while the dryer is running. If you don’t feel air escaping, the vent or exhaust duct may be blocked.

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