Dear Claire: Have Any Summer Home Maintenance Tips?

“Dear Claire, Summer has finally arrived, and I’d much rather spend my weekends enjoying my backyard than worrying about home repairs. What home maintenance should I be doing this summer to keep my house in good shape and avoid expensive surprises later?”

One of my favorite things about summer in the Portland area is finally getting to enjoy the outdoors. Whether you’re grilling with friends, planting flowers, tending a vegetable garden, or simply relaxing on the deck after a long day, this is the season when our homes really shine.

But before you completely switch into vacation mode, there are a few simple maintenance tasks that can make a big difference.

I always tell homeowners that summer is one of the best times of year to walk around your property with fresh eyes. The weather is dry, the days are longer, and it’s much easier to spot little problems before they become much bigger—and much more expensive—repairs once fall and winter arrive.

The good news is that most of these projects don’t require special skills or expensive tools. In fact, you can knock out many of them in a single weekend.

Here are my summer home maintenance ideas and checklist for Portland homeowners.

Why Summer Is the Best Time for Home Maintenance

Every season brings its own maintenance priorities, but summer is unique because it’s the easiest time to inspect your home.

You don’t have to worry about climbing around in the rain or trying to diagnose leaks while everything is soaking wet. Materials are dry, landscaping is growing, and outdoor spaces are being used more than any other time of year.

A few hours spent maintaining your home this summer can help:

• Extend the life of your appliances
• Prevent costly repairs
• Improve your home’s energy efficiency
• Protect your outdoor living spaces
• Catch small problems before they become major ones
• Keep your home looking its best

Think of it as an annual wellness checkup for one of your biggest investments.

1. Change Your HVAC or Furnace Filter

One of the easiest—and most overlooked—maintenance tasks is changing your furnace or HVAC filter. I hear people say all the time, “I’m not using my furnace, so I don’t need to worry about the filter.” Actually, this is exactly when many homeowners should be paying attention.

If you have air conditioning or a heat pump, your system is working hard all summer long to keep your house comfortable. Even if you don’t have AC, many Portland homeowners run their furnace fan overnight to circulate cooler outside air through the house.

That means your filter is still collecting:

• Dust
• Pollen
• Pet hair
• Smoke particles
• Other airborne debris

A dirty filter forces your system to work harder, reduces airflow, and can shorten the life of your equipment.

Fortunately, replacing a filter only takes a few minutes and can improve both efficiency and indoor air quality.

2. Pull Out Your Refrigerator and Vacuum Behind It

This might be my favorite maintenance tip because almost nobody thinks about it.

Your refrigerator works incredibly hard during the summer months. Between warm weather, frequent trips to grab cold drinks, and a refrigerator that’s probably packed with barbecue food and leftovers, it’s constantly running.

If your refrigerator sits inside a cabinet enclosure or recessed space, carefully pull it away from the wall.

Then vacuum:

• Underneath the refrigerator
• Behind it
• Around the condenser coils (if accessible)

Fair warning…

You’re probably going to discover a (potentially gross) collection of dust, pet hair, crumbs, and who knows what else that’s been hiding back there for years.

Cleaning those areas helps your refrigerator operate more efficiently and may even extend its lifespan. It’s a simple job with surprisingly big benefits.

3. Inspect Your Sprinklers and Irrigation System

Summer is when your irrigation system finally goes back to work after sitting idle all winter. Before assuming everything is functioning properly, take a few minutes to inspect it.

Turn your sprinklers on and check for:

• Broken sprinkler heads
• Leaking hoses
• Cracked drip lines
• Areas where water isn’t reaching plants
• Overspray onto sidewalks or driveways

And let me share a little personal experience…

Years ago, I connected one of those soaker hoses that slowly releases water into the soil and walked away. Unfortunately, it had developed a hole over the winter. Instead of watering the garden, it managed to flood my basement.

So learn from my mistake! Spend a few minutes checking your irrigation system before letting it run unattended.

4. Eliminate Standing Water

Mosquitoes love standing water. Unfortunately, they don’t need much of it. Walk around your property and look for anything that’s collecting water in places like:

• Buckets
• Flower pots
• Children’s toys
• Wheelbarrows
• Bird baths
• Plant saucers
• Decorative containers
• Clogged gutters
• Old tarps

Even small amounts of standing water can become breeding grounds during warm weather.

If you have a decorative pond or water feature, consider using products specifically designed to control mosquito larvae while remaining safe for pets and wildlife.

A quick walk around the yard now can make outdoor evenings much more enjoyable later.

5. Give Your Deck a Summer Checkup

Summer is deck season! It’s where birthday parties happen. It’s where neighbors gather. It’s where you’ll probably spend countless evenings enjoying the longer daylight hours.

Before inviting everyone over, spend a few minutes underneath and around your deck. You’re not performing a structural engineering inspection; you’re simply looking for anything that seems unusual.

Check for:

• Loose boards
• Soft or rotting wood
• Loose railings
• Cracks
• Nails or screws backing out
• Areas that feel unstable

If something looks odd, don’t ignore it.

And if you’re unsure what you’re seeing, give me a call. I’m always happy to point you toward trusted professionals who can take a closer look.

6. Clean and Inspect Your Grill

Let’s be honest, nothing says summer quite like firing up the grill. But if you’re anything like me, the first time you uncover it each year usually comes with one thought:

“Wow…I really should have cleaned this before putting it away.”

Help out Future You and take some time to:

• Clean the cooking grates
• Remove grease buildup
• Clean burner covers
• Empty grease trays
• Brush away spider webs or debris

Then check your propane tank. Because somehow, it always runs out right when everyone is standing around hungry.

Inspect the gas line. An easy way to check for leaks is to mix a little dish soap with water, brush it onto the hose and fittings, then slowly turn on the propane. If bubbles appear, you’ve found a leak.

Fortunately, replacement hoses are usually inexpensive and easy to install.

7. Wash Your Windows and Screens

Summer sunshine has a funny way of highlighting every fingerprint, water spot, and layer of pollen on your windows. Clean windows don’t just improve your view—they also let in more natural light and make your home feel brighter inside.

Don’t forget the screens! Screens collect an amazing amount of dust and pollen throughout the spring. Simply removing them and giving them a gentle rinse can noticeably improve airflow and visibility.

8. Walk Around Your Home and Really Look at It

This is probably the simplest advice I’ll give you.

Walk all the way around your house.

Slowly.

Pretend you’ve never seen it before.

Look at:

• The siding
• Windows
• Trim
• Paint
• Foundation
• Roofline
• Exterior vents
• Hose bibs

Ask yourself: “Does anything look different?” “Does anything look out of place?”

Sometimes you’ll notice peeling paint. Sometimes you’ll spot a cracked vent cover. Sometimes you’ll discover a shrub rubbing against the siding.

Small issues are usually inexpensive to fix. It’s the small issues we don’t notice that tend to become expensive ones.

9. Trim Trees and Landscaping

Portland summers are beautiful because everything grows. Sometimes it grows a little too well. Trim back landscaping that’s:

• Touching the house
• Blocking windows
• Covering walkways
• Hanging over the roof
• Crowding air conditioning units

Keeping plants away from the home improves airflow, reduces moisture against the siding, and makes routine inspections much easier.

10. Clean Out Gutters and Downspouts

“But Claire…it’s summer!” Exactly. That makes it the perfect time.

While gutters usually get attention in the fall, summer is a great opportunity to remove spring debris before it hardens or begins restricting drainage.

You’ll also be ready long before autumn leaves begin falling again.

Small Maintenance Today Can Prevent Big Repairs Tomorrow

One of the reasons I encourage homeowners to stay on top of maintenance is because the math is usually pretty simple.

A $20 furnace filter can help protect an HVAC system worth thousands.

Cleaning refrigerator coils may extend the life of one of the hardest-working appliances in your home.

Catching a leaking hose before it floods your basement…well, trust me—that’s a lesson you only want to learn once.

Most home repairs don’t become expensive overnight. They become expensive because small problems quietly go unnoticed for months or years.

Summer Home Maintenance Checklist

Here’s a quick checklist you can save for the weekend.

Inside

☐ Replace HVAC or furnace filter

☐ Vacuum behind and underneath refrigerator

☐ Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

☐ Clean ceiling fans

Outside

☐ Check sprinklers and irrigation

☐ Eliminate standing water

☐ Inspect deck

☐ Clean grill

☐ Check propane tank

☐ Test gas line for leaks

☐ Wash windows

☐ Clean screens

☐ Trim trees and shrubs

☐ Walk around your home

☐ Inspect siding and paint

☐ Clean gutters

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I replace my furnace filter?

Most filters should be replaced every one to three months, depending on the type of filter, whether you have pets, and how often your HVAC system runs. Check your manufacturer’s guide to be sure.

Do I need to change my furnace filter if I don’t use the heat in the summer?

Yes. If you’re running your air conditioning, heat pump, or even just the furnace fan to circulate air, your filter is still collecting dust, pollen, and other airborne particles.

Why should I vacuum behind my refrigerator?

Dust buildup around the condenser coils makes your refrigerator work harder, reducing efficiency and potentially shortening its lifespan.

How do I know if my grill has a gas leak?

Apply a mixture of dish soap and water to the hose and fittings, then slowly turn on the propane. If bubbles form, you likely have a leak that should be repaired before using the grill.

What’s the most important summer home maintenance task?

There’s no single answer, but checking your HVAC filter, inspecting irrigation systems, eliminating standing water, and walking around your home to spot potential issues are all excellent places to start.

A Little Time Now Goes a Long Way

Your home is one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make. Fortunately, protecting it doesn’t always require major renovations or expensive contractors.

Sometimes it’s simply taking an hour or two to change a filter, clean behind the refrigerator, inspect the deck, or walk around the house with a fresh perspective.

Those little maintenance habits can save you thousands of dollars over the life of your home—and they’ll help ensure you’re spending more time enjoying summer instead of dealing with unexpected repairs.

And remember, if you’re walking around your house and something just doesn’t look quite right, don’t hesitate to reach out.

I’d much rather answer a quick question or recommend a trusted professional than see a small maintenance issue turn into a much bigger problem.

About Claire Paris

Claire Paris is the Owner and Principal Broker of Paris Group Realty, LLC. She has been practicing real estate since 2004 and is licensed in both Oregon and Washington.

If you have a real estate question you’d like me to answer in a future Dear Claire, we’d love to hear it. And if you’re thinking about buying, selling, or investing in real estate, our team is always here to help. Get in touch—we’d love to be part of your next chapter.

Looking for more real estate tips and advice? Be sure to subscribe to the Paris Group Realty, LLC YouTube channel, where you’ll find hundreds of videos covering everything from buying and selling a home to Portland neighborhoods, home maintenance, financing, market updates, investment properties, and answers to many of the most common real estate questions.