Fall Home Maintenance

This weekend was all about getting things done around the house again. With the bathroom renovation nearly done, the construction crew finally cleaned up and removed the ram board floor protector used to cover our hardwood floors. So you better believe I got those new floors back to their shiny self! There was a lot of sweeping, vacuuming, and steam cleaning around the house this weekend. And a bit of gardening and clean up outside as well. Couldn't have been happier to have a front porch to decorate!

But as we head into the fall months, there are certain maintenance projects we need to do that we can't exactly do ourselves. One room I cannot wait to spend time in this coming winter is our living room. I haven't had a fireplace since we moved when I was in the 5th grade. I envision myself curled up under a blanket, reading or enjoying a hot drink by the fire this winter.

Before we use our fireplace though, it's really important that we have it cleaned. If it's anything like the rest of the home we've taken on, it may not have been deep cleaned for quite some time. So for safety's sake, we've decided to hire the pros (you can't really DIY chimney cleaning/sweeping). I should point out that the more often you use your fireplace, the more often you want to get it cleaned. Ash buildup is no joke - we're talking the possibility of chimney fires and carbon monoxide leaks. Scary stuff.

While this may not be the cheapest home service, it's a necessary one. The average cost in the Boston area could run you about $350, but like I said, it's a necessary maintenance expense. You can read more here.

In order to find a chimney sweeper in the area, I filled out the pre-screened pro service request on Homeadvisor's website. Guys, it was so easy! And possibly even better? There was no initial profile set-up, mandatory registration, or annual fee to use their service. Now that is my kind of website.

After looking through the list of professional's in our area, we chose one we felt confident with and have scheduled our cleaning. While I may not be ready for winter weather yet, I'm excited knowing we'll have a clean, safe fireplace to use.

Zip code and town removed for our personal privacy.

If you're looking for a chimney cleaner in your area, click here. And get this done before the cooler temperatures hit!

Home Maintenance

Do you have a few other maintenance projects you need to get done? Another one on our list is cleaning the gutters and downspouts. There are a lot of leaves out there. Oh, you too? Check out this profile to learn more on what you can expect to pay in the Boston area.

And best of luck to all you homeowners / house renters out there! As we're learning, home maintenance is no joke!

Disclosure: I've teamed up with HomeAdvisor this month as part of their Blog Ambassador Program. Although this post is sponsored by HomeAdvisor, all opinions expressed are my own.