These are the same checklists I give to my clients after they close on their home. Over 150 tasks organized by frequency and season so nothing slips through the cracks. Use them online, bookmark this page, or download the printable PDFs below.
✓ Daily
☕ Kitchen
- Wipe kitchen table and counters
- Wash dirty dishes
- Wash coffee pot
- Disinfect kitchen sink
- Wipe fresh oven spills
- Change dish cloths and towels
- Empty kitchen trashcan
🛏 Home
- Make bed
- Squeegee shower walls
- Wipe cellphone screen
🐾 Pets
- Clean pet bowls
- Scoop litterboxes
✓ Weekly
Weekly cleaning keeps surfaces sanitary and prevents buildup. Focus on high-touch areas: kitchen, bathrooms, and floors.
🍴 Kitchen
- Clean kitchen counter and sink
- Wipe kitchen cupboard fronts
- Purge expired food in fridge
- Wipe kitchen appliances
- Clean inside of microwave
- Clean dishwasher food litter
- Clean garbage disposal
🏠 Throughout the Home
- Sanitize bathroom surfaces
- Clean bathroom trashcan
- Clean mirrors
- Dust furniture
- Vacuum upholstered furniture
- Launder sheets & pillowcases
- Vacuum or sweep and mop floors
- Wipe light switches and doorknobs
- Wipe stairs, rails & banisters
- Sweep porch, patio and deck
✓ Monthly
🧹 Cleaning
- Dust baseboards
- Launder throw rugs and bath mats
- Dust blinds and window screens
- Wipe windowsills and doors
- Vacuum and wipe air vents
- Clean washing machine and dryer
- Clean refrigerator & freezer
- Descale coffee maker
- Clean backsplash grout
- Vacuum mattress
🛠 Upkeep
- Launder duvet covers
- Sweep garage floor
- Deodorize drains
- Clean spots on inside of windows
- Wash shower curtain liner
- Scrub shower grout
- Dust ceiling fans
- Clean computer keyboard and monitors
- Change furnace filters
- Replace toothbrush heads
🐾 Extras
- Wash and sanitize litterboxes
- Wash pet bedding
- Clean vacuum cleaner
- Launder mattress covers
- Wash kitchen trash can
✓ Seasonally
✨ Deep Clean
- Clean oven
- Clean dishwasher
- Clean dryer vent
- Wash duvet
- Wash range hood filters
- Dust ceiling and walls
- Clean lampshades
- Vacuum under heavy furniture
🛋 Refresh
- Launder curtains and throw pillows
- Clean outdoor furniture
- Clean windows inside and out
- Clean light fixtures
- Steam clean or shampoo carpets
- Deep clean pantry
⚙ Systems
- Vacuum bathroom exhaust fans
- Change furnace filters
- Clean refrigerator coils and drip pans
- Clean behind appliances
- Swap seasonal clothing
- Clean garage
- Wash garbage cans
- Clean BBQ grills
- Rotate mattresses
- Clean shower heads
Need help with deep cleaning? Ask for a Vision approved contractor or call +1 (647) 328-8958.
Why this matters: Catching small issues monthly prevents them from becoming expensive repairs. A $50 caulking fix today saves a $5,000 water damage bill next year.
🏠 Interior
- Check ceilings and surfaces around windows for moisture
- Check caulking on showers, bathtubs, sinks, and toilet base
- Check ceiling areas beneath bathrooms for leakage
- Check all stairs and railings for loose members
- Check all fire and safety systems
- Test all smoke and CO detectors
- Know the location of all gas shut-off valves
⚡ Electrical
- Check exposed wiring and cable — replace as necessary
- Check all lamp cords, extension cords, and receptacles for wear
- Trip circuit breakers every 6 months and GFCIs monthly
- Learn location of electrical panels and label each circuit
- If fuses blow or breakers trip frequently, call a licensed electrician
🌡 Heating & Cooling
- Clean or change furnace filters every 3 months
- Lubricate fan and motor bearings where applicable
- Check fan belt tension and listen for unusual noises
- Keep area around heating/cooling equipment clear
- For boiler systems, check water level and shut-off valve
- Have system serviced annually before the season starts
Doors, windows, and plumbing are where small issues become big bills. Check seals, hardware, and fixtures for signs of wear or leaks every month.
🚪 Doors & Windows
- Check for loose or missing glazing putty
- Check caulking for deterioration at openings and joints
- Check weather stripping
- Check for broken glass and damaged or missing screens
- Check all window and door hardware
🚰 Plumbing
- Check all faucets, hose bibbs, and supply valves for leakage
- Check for leaks around sinks, showers, toilets, and tubs
- Check lawn sprinkler for leaky valves and exposed lines
- Have the septic tank cleaned every two years
- Have well water checked for quality
- Check the main water shut-off valve
🏗 Foundation & Exterior
- Check foundation walls for cracking or deterioration
- Check chimney for loose or missing mortar
- Check grading slopes away from the foundation
- Check basement and crawlspace for moisture
- Check all wood surfaces for weathering and paint failure
- Check decks, patios, porches, stairs, and railings
- Cut back vegetation from structures
🏚 Roof
- Check for missing, loose, or damaged shingles
- Check for open seams or bald areas on flat roofs
- Clean gutters, strainers, and downspouts
- Make sure downspouts divert water from the foundation
- Check the attic for evidence of leaks
- Check flashing around projections and protrusions
- Trim tree limbs and vegetation away from the roof
- Check fascia and soffits for deterioration
Roof tip: Most homeowners never look at their roof until there’s a leak. A 15-minute visual check each season can save you $10,000+ in emergency repairs. Look from the ground with binoculars — you don’t need to climb up.
Need a roofer, plumber, or electrician? Check my referral directory — every name is personally vetted.
❄ HVAC
- Replace furnace filter
- Install new batteries in smoke alarms and CO detectors
- Test and dust all detectors
- Service your A/C unit
- Professional duct cleaning service
- Clean out your dryer vent
- Duct sealing
- Thermostat schedule adjustment
🚪 Windows & Doors
- Clean windows
- Replace damaged screens
- Inspect caulking and repair
- Review brickwork and siding
- Double check eavestrough and downspout extensions
- Check attic for leaks, mold, moisture, and animals
- Inspect garage door, opener, remotes, and batteries
- Garage clean out
🌿 Lawn & Garden
- Unwrap winterized coverings
- Inspect lawn and seed bare patches
- Yard cleanup: raking, edging, weeding, pruning
- Fertilize lawn
- Replace or top up mulch
- Turn on outdoor faucets
- Inspect sprinkler and irrigation systems
- Check for insect infestations
After the freeze-thaw cycle, check your foundation, deck, and exterior for cracks and water damage. Small issues found now prevent major repairs later.
🏗 Home Exterior
- Clean and seal deck as needed
- Check for cracks and leaks in foundation
- Inspect paint and touch up
- Assess siding and masonry for damage
- Inspect roof for damage and schedule service
☀ Decks & Patio
- Wood or composite: wash, repair, seal, stain
- Check railings
- Inspect patio slope
- Clean and check outdoor furniture
- Wipe down and inspect BBQ
- Inspect exterior lighting
🔍 Inspections
- Inspect caulking in kitchen and bathrooms
- Test exhaust fans
- Clean kitchen exhaust hood and filter
- Check fire extinguishers
- Schedule maintenance and energy inspection
- Schedule deck inspection
- Annual septic tank inspection
- Water heater inspection (5+ years old)
Need help getting your home spring-ready? Ask for a Vision approved contractor.
Fall may be the perfect time for outdoor activities, but this weather will soon be gone. Take care of pre-winter maintenance now so you won’t have regrets later.
🌬 Weatherproof Windows & Doors
- Seal gaps larger than 1/8 inch around windows and doors — cut winter heating bills by up to 15%
- Use adhesive-backed closed-cell foam on windows and foam strips on doors
- Install a door sweep on the bottom
🚧 Fix Cracked Concrete
- Cracks in driveways and walkways worsen when water seeps in and freezes
- For small cracks, use acrylic latex repair compound and smooth with a putty knife
- Vinyl patching compound for large cracks — cure 1 day before walking, 3 days before driving
Gutters and roofing are your home’s first line of defense against winter water damage. Clear debris before the first freeze.
💧 Gutters
- Make sure gutters are clean of debris
- Verify water is properly directed out the downspout
- Check for loose or sagging sections
🌲 Trees & Exterior
- Trim branches away from the house and power lines
- Inspect caulking around windows and doors
- Check exterior siding for damage or gaps
- Clean and store outdoor furniture
🏠 Roofing
- Check asphalt for dry or curling shingles
- Check wood for rot and splints
- Slate and tile for broken or missing pieces
- Flat roofs for holes
🏚 Attic
- Look around the attic space during daylight hours with lights off
- Check for holes in the roofing
- Keep an eye out for animal activity or entry points
🌿 Ceiling Fans & Garden
- Change fan rotation clockwise to push warm air down
- Clean debris and dust from fan blades
- Mulch around bulbs, shrubs, and trees to protect root systems
💧 Equipment & Water
- Run gas out of the mower, change oil, check spark plug
- Clean garden tools and coat with oil to prevent rust
- Drain garden hose, coil and store where it won’t freeze
- Drain sprinkler system and shut off water to prevent frozen pipes
Need help winterizing your home? Ask for a Vision approved contractor or call +1 (647) 328-8958.
Prefer a Printable Version?
Download any of the original PDF checklists to print and hang on your fridge.
Need a Specialist?
If any of these tasks are beyond DIY territory, ask for a Vision approved property contractor. I’ve vetted every name on my referral directory personally. Or just give me a call at +1 (647) 328-8958.