With winter well and truly behind us, it’s time to get your house and garden ready to face not just the warm weather, but the damaging effects of summer sun, rain and wind. Choose a fine spring day and walk around the outside of your house, taking inventory of what tasks need attending to, before they become a major – and possibly costly – repair. Don’t think of spring home maintenance as “chores”; consider it a great excuse to spend time outside in the sunshine!

Here’s a list of 18 around-the-house spring chores to consider:

1 Inspect your roof for any loose, missing or damaged shingles, evidence of leaks, cracks in seals or flashing that may have shifted.

2 Scrape, prime and repaint any peeling or bubbling paint on trim or woodwork. Touch-ups now can forestall or prevent a big painting job later on.

3 Check your steps and deck for cracks, rotting boards or places where nails have popped up. With concrete steps, consider painting them with concrete paint to protect the surface and spruce them up; repair any cracks.

4 Clean and check your eavestroughs and make any needed repairs. Consider buying leafguards for the tops of downspouts; these are easy-to-clean mesh screens that prevent debris from flowing into the downspout and clogging it.

5 Walk around the perimeter of your house, carefully checking the foundation and seal for cracks. Even small cracks should be repaired; they have a way of growing into big cracks, and possibly leaks.

6 Coat your driveway with driveway sealer.

7 Arrange for an annual check-up of your cooling system, before the summer rush.

8 Clean and, if necessary, replace your furnace air filter. If you didn’t have it cleaned in the fall, schedule a furnace cleaning.

9 Wash your windows inside and out; take down storm windows if you have them, and wash and install window screens and window coverings.

Keep reading for nine more around-the-house spring chores.10 Clean and condition your outdoor barbecue to ready it for another season.

11 Clean and repair outdoor furniture.

12 Clean, sharpen, oil, and if desired, paint the handles on your garden tools.

13 Bring out and mount your garden hose. Turn on outdoor faucets, once all danger of a freeze has passed, and test the hose; if there are any leaks, repair or replace the hose.

14 Give your lawn a spring boost. Lightly rake up leaf debris and dead grass left on the surface, then apply a light application of spring fertilizer. Seed any bare spots, then give it a good watering; the new shoots will be thirsty.

15 Spring clean your garden. Lightly rake the beds, removing leaf debris and cutting down dead stalks from last year. Dig out any baby weeds, while they’re small and easy to get at. Apply a couple of inches of compost, but do not mulch your beds until later in the spring, so the earth has a chance to warm up. Plant spring bulbs such as autumn crocus, dahlias and some lilies.

16 Trim shrubs and trees while they are still dormant.

17 Organize a family garage cleanout. Systematically take everything out of the garage and organize into four piles: Keep and Put Back; Keep and Put Somewhere Else; Recycling/Giveaway; Throw Out. You can buy lots of garage organizing systems and items, ranging from hooks and pegboards for tools to cupboards and drawer systems. At the very least, simply keep the general rule in mind that often-used items (lawn mower, gardening tools) should be kept organized and accessible, while less-needed things, like snow tires, can be placed out of the way in storage solutions until needed again.

18 Plan a garage or yard sale. Consider enlisting your neighbours for a street-wide sale.