A Seasonal Home Checklist for People Who Hate Checklists

Seasonal home lists usually fail because they are enormous. Ninety items in spring is not a plan, it is a guilt document. Four short passes a year, each about an hour, catch most of what actually costs money when it is missed.

Autumn: heat and water

• ◆Replace furnace and HVAC filters; book a service if it has been more than a year.
• ◆Clear gutters and check that downspouts move water away from the foundation.
• ◆Shut off and drain outdoor taps before the first freeze.
• ◆Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and change the batteries.

Winter: watch and protect

• ◆Check for ice dams and roof edges after heavy snow.
• ◆Look under sinks on exterior walls during the coldest week.
• ◆Keep one week of water, batteries and medication on hand.

Spring: outside in

• ◆Walk the outside of the house looking for cracked caulk, loose siding and blocked vents.
• ◆Service cooling before the first hot week, when every technician is booked.
• ◆Flush the water heater or at least check for corrosion and drips.

Summer: storage and paperwork

• ◆Declutter one storage area only — garage, basement or closet — not all three.
• ◆Photograph rooms for insurance records and store the photos off the house.
• ◆Review your insurance renewal and warranty paperwork while you have time to read it.

Put the four passes on the calendar as one-hour appointments rather than a to-do list. A season you scheduled gets done; a season you intended does not.