As we slowly move away from Summer and into Fall, the leaves will start to turn and expose their natural, colorful selves. We also move ever closer to the dreaded daylight savings. Over the first few days of daylight savings, I convince myself that I love daylight savings. Finishing work in the dark and waking up at 4 AM because it’s light out is way better than getting in a late evening walk with my wife and the dog, playing golf until 8:30 at night, or taking a long evening run. Well, truth be told…that’s a lie. I hate daylight savings and I don’t know why it’s still a thing! 

The Fall does bring some things that I really love. The foliage alone – especially living in Northern Vermont – makes driving to work through the mountains a joy as I am surrounded by a cornucopia of colors. The foliage is spectacular in Vermont. As a huge sports fan, I love College Football and the NFL. The Fall is all about football. Monday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday it's all about football, football, and more football. Hayrides and corn mazes and lots of pumpkin ales… we are lucky to experience fall in Vermont. British Invasion in Stowe, Oktoberfest on the waterfront in Burlington, and the first few flakes of snow… I do love fall living in Vermont, I just don’t like “daylight savings.”

Daylight savings has always been a reminder of a few annual household chores. First, remember to change the batteries in your smoke and CO detectors. It’s a small thing, but it saves lives. Also on the list should be: 

• clean and inspect the furnace
• clean and inspect the water heater
• clean the dryer vent
• change any and all filters in the house that need annual changing

You might ask, what else could there be? Here are my recommendations:

• clean and inspect the chimney
• clean the gutters
• change your summer to winter tires
• check the snowblower to make sure it’s ready for a busy winter
• put away the summer lawn care items, mower and weed whackers (run them to empty and spray them clean)
• drain outdoor hoses and turn off non frost freeze faucets
• clean and put away your outdoor furniture
• reverse the directions of your ceiling fans
• and lastly, don’t forget to feed the lawn with the fall lawn fertilizer!

If you have any questions about your home and/or about real estate in general, please contact us. We’d love to help with your questions and concerns.