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October Home Maintenance Tips
If you have been keeping up with the monthly home maintenance tips, you should be in pretty good shape for fall, but here are few things to in October to make sure you will be able to enjoy this beautiful season.  
 
  • Check Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Detectors 
Check the age of your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. If they don’t need replaced, test them to make sure they are functioning properly and replace the batteries.  
 
  • Find and Service Your Fall Tools
You know you will need them soon, so locate things like leaf rakes, tree saws, snow blowers and shovels, leaf blowers, and other tools you will need this fall. Make sure they function as intended, get them repaired if not, and have them ready for the day you will need them.
 
  • Window Maintenance 
You should have inspected your windows in spring, but take another look at them before winter. Make sure they are in good shape, close tightly, and clean them if needed.  
 
  • Inspect your Power Line 
If your electric service line is aerial, take a look at it to notice if any tree limbs are rubbing on it, or look like they could break, fall, and take your electric service line with it. If you see that something looks questionable, let your electric service provider know so they can inspect it and hopefully prevent an outage during the winter.  
 
  • Find and Maintain Your Winter Sports Equipment 
For those of you who enjoy outdoor activities all year, now is a good time to round up your equipment and make sure it is ready for the season. I have been working on my hunting equipment and cold weather gear.  I am going to try cross-country skiing for the first time and have been gathering equipment for Kristy and me in anticipation of snow this winter. I also have a pair of snow shoes I have never tried. You don’t want to wait until opening day of hunting season, or the first morning you wake up to snow on the ground to get all that equipment out. Let me know what your favorite winter activities are.  
 
  • Get Your Vehicles Ready for Winter 
All I am going to say here is schedule your vehicles to get serviced by your favorite car mechanic before winter. Make sure they are ready for winter driving conditions and that you have winter emergency kits in your vehicles in case you are stranded sometime.  
 
Now you can relax and enjoy fall activities worry-free!  

Norwalk IA Real Estate – Jon Niemeyer, Broker/Owner/REALTOR® at EXIT Realty North Star. I list and sell real estate in Central Iowa including Norwalk, Des Moines, West Des Moines, Cumming, Indianola, Carlisle, Waukee, Urbandale, Grimes, Clive, Johnston, Ankeny, Altoona, and Pleasant Hill in the Counties of Warren, Polk, Dallas, and Madison. Call Jon Niemeyer at 515-490-4675.

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