The idea of “spring cleaning” seems to get all the glory, but there’s a lot that you can do around the house in autumn to keep your place in tip-top shape. Here are some things you could consider doing (or getting someone to do for you!) during autumn…

1. Clean gutters: As leaves fall from trees in autumn, they tend to clog gutters. Keeping your gutters clear is one of the things you can do to prevent water damage to your home.
   Getting it done: By all means you can do this yourself, but if you don’t have a ladder (or if you just don’t like heights!) you could post it on Jobba. Consider whether you need someone to bring their own ladder and gear, and you might want to pay around $80 for an average sized single storey house. If you have a two storey house, you’ll need to get the pros in to make sure they have the right safety gear.
   
2. Seal windows and doors: As temperatures start to drop – especially overnight, you’ll want to make sure your home is properly sealed to keep out draughts. Wooden windows can be especially prone to gaps as the wood settles and changes shape over time. You can buy draught-stopping tape from hardware stores and install it in any gaps.
   Getting it done: There are definitely pros who can help you fully seal your windows and doorframes, but if you’re wanting to install some tape but don’t have the time (or skills!), you could post on Jobba and see if someone can help you – someone might come and do a dozen windows for $40 or so!
   
3. Clean and store outdoor furniture: If you have outdoor furniture, cleaning it then storing it away for the winter can help to prolong its lifespan. Wooden furniture gets weathered quickly in our climate, and fabric can go mouldy over winter.
   Getting it done: Packing your cushions away is a pretty easy job, but it can be harder to wrangle tables and chairs on your own. If you need another set of hands you could post a job for $25 or so to get someone to give you a hand moving your furniture into your shed! If you need multiple people, remember that you’ll need to be paying for more time.
   
4. Tidy up the garden: Raking leaves is a classic autumn chore but it’s worth doing to keep your garden looking tidy if you have trees that drop their leaves. You might also have plants that need dead-heading or annual plants that have reached the end of their life!
   Getting it done: If you want to avoid the boring bits of gardening, but want to bask in the glory of a tidy garden, lots of people are willing to help out in the garden for around $25 an hour, so you could try posting on Jobba.
   
5. Make sure your heating is working: Make sure your heating system is in good working order before the cold weather sets in – there’s nothing worst than hitting the first cold snap and realising your heat pump is on the fritz, your chimney needs sweeping, or you’re out of firewood!
   Getting it done: It’s easy to clean the filters for most heat pumps (check your manual for details) and an important maintenance step! If your heat pump isn’t working properly, it’s worth calling the pros in for troubleshooting if Google can’t help! You’ll also need to get the pros in to maintain your fire, but you can save your back and post on Jobba to get someone to stack your firewood ahead of winter!
   
6. Plant bulbs for spring: Autumn is a great time to plant bulbs for spring flowers. You’ll be glad that you did this come spring when your garden becomes a riot of colour!
   Getting it done: Once you’ve picked the spring flowers that you want, you can buy bulbs from any garden centre (or there are some great deals online!). If you don’t want to do the mahi, you can get someone in to help you out – you might even want to combine the job with a bit of a general garden tidy up (see number 4!)
   
7. Clean and store summer items: If you have summer items like paddling pools or temporary pools, this is a good time to give them a good clean and then store them until next summer.
   Getting it done: You’ll want to make sure that the pool is clean and totally dry before storing it, so it doesn’t grow mould over winter. It can be time consuming to dismantle bigger pools, so you could post on Jobba and see if someone can do it for you. For a bigger pool, you might want to pay around $50-60 if it’s going to take a couple of hours to clean, dismantle, and dry the pool for you.

Autumn is a time if year that divides a lot of people – some of us love the crisp mornings and colourful leaves, and some of us find it sad that summer is coming to a close! Regardless of how you feel about autumn, getting your house in order ahead of winter means that as soon as the days start getting warmer and longer again, you can jump straight into enjoying it!

If you still want to make the most of the nice days that autumn does often bring, you can outsource a lot of these jobs by posting them on https://www.jobba.co.nz