The change in seasons is a busy time for homeowners. For those with newly-built traditional or prefab homes, the spring chore checklist includes landscaping, gardening, and preparing for the highs and lows of the summer weather to come. Here’s how you can make it a summer to remember by preparing your newly built property this spring!
1. Check the Foundation
With summer comes rain, especially in parts of Ontario’s cottage country. While this won’t put a damper on your summer fun (board games are even more fun in a brand-new house), it can put pressure on your new home’s foundation.
If the home builder poured it before or during the winter, inspect the foundation for cracks or other visible damage. You can then use a garden hose to check that the ground slopes away from the house so water will not pool near the foundation. Test your rain gutters as well to ensure the downspout is moving water in the right direction.
2. Plant Something Beautiful
Your new property is a canvas just waiting to be filled with colour. Find out the last frost date in your neck of the woods (it comes around May 11th here in Wingham) and start planting spring annuals. Don’t forget to pay a visit to your local garden centre — if you’re new in town, it can be a fantastic place to meet your neighbours.
Filling fresh garden beds with a few of your favourite plants can go a long way to making your newly-built property feel like home. Plus, it will create a colourful backdrop for your first summer barbeque!
3. Work the Lawn
The process of building a home can really do a number on the grass. Some homeowners move into a property with no lawn at all! Although fall is ordinarily the ideal time to plant grass seed, you can also begin after the snow has melted in the spring.
Along with seeding areas that are bare, you can also undertake the usual tasks of spring lawn maintenance: aerating, removing debris, mulching trees and garden beds, and fertilizing.
4. Set Up Your Cooling System
If you haven’t yet installed an air conditioner, now is the time to do it! Come summer, everyone and their neighbour will be waiting in line for a house call from the local service company. But spring is a relatively dry spell, meaning you can have the system installed on your time.
Be sure to check for rebates on equipment in your province. Sometimes, utility companies offer discounts as well, so it is worth calling your new provider to inquire.
5. Prepare for Summer Fun
The best part of a new home is sharing it with the people you love. Make your first summer there a memorable one! Spring is the season to start preparing your property for summer barbeques and patio parties.
You may not be able to accomplish everything you envision for your home in one year, so focus on whichever part matters most to you: a deck, a privacy fence, a pool, a patio, or whatever will make your newly built prefab home complete.