Your May Checklist for a Smooth-Running Home

With the weather warming and flowers blooming, May is a wonderful time to prepare your home for a season of indoor-outdoor living. Spruce up your outdoor kitchen, boost curb appeal, do a fire safety check and more — here are 10 home tasks to consider doing this month.

1. Touch up interior paint. This is one of those tasks that sounds far more daunting than it really is. A plastic cup filled with paint and a small brush are all you need to make minor touch-ups to most rooms. A few minutes covering up scuff marks and stains can make a world of difference! If you have small holes (from moving artwork, for example), fill them with putty and allow it to dry for at least a day before painting.


2. Restain the deck and repaint the porch. Freshen up your porch and deck this month by applying a new coat of paint or stain. A once-a-year refresh will help extend the life of the wood and keep it looking its best. If the finish is looking quite worn, you may need to have the surface completely sanded down and repainted — it’s worth it to keep your outdoor spaces in good shape for years to come.

What to Know Before Refinishing Your Floors


3. Check safety devices. Test smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, and change batteries as needed. Make sure you have both a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector on each floor of your home and near each bedroom. Also check the expiration date on fire extinguishers and replace if needed.


4. Jazz up your outdoor kitchen. With Memorial Day coming up later this month, many of us will be taking to the backyard for a barbecue with friends. Make sure your outdoor kitchen is up to the task by adding a few fun features now — how about a work surface, bar seating or an outdoor fridge?

See 10 great outdoor kitchens

5. Check for outdoor fire hazards. Walk around your property with an eye to fire safety. Make sure your grill is a safe distance from your home’s siding, and trim back any plantings that could get caught in flames from the grill. If you live in an area that’s prone to summer wildfires, be sure to keep bushes trimmed back, and do not store piles of dry brush or other highly flammable material in your yard. Consult your local fire department for advice specific to your region.


6. Open your pool for the season. If you closed your pool for the winter and haven’t yet opened it up again, now is the time to fill it and set up a maintenance schedule for the season ahead.

Learn how to replaster or remodel your pool

7. Check irrigation systems. Walk around your yard while your irrigation system is on and check to make sure the entire line is working. If you are using an automatic timer, be sure to go check the first day to make sure the water is turning on and off when it is supposed to. If you do not yet have an irrigation system, consider adding one — it can save a great deal of water and make caring for your yard much easier.



8. Increase curb appeal. Make your house stand out with a big change, like a bold new front door color, an arbor with roses or new porch lights. Or, for a quick spruce-up, swap out the doormat and add a few pots of flowers.

See more ways to boost curb appeal


9. Clean out the shed or garage. No one said it’s easy, but making room in your storage shed or garage will feel great once you’re done. Work on the space a little at a time, setting aside items you want to sell or give away. Once you have freed up some space, consider if there is a way to make the space even more useful — perhaps some wall-mounted storage, a work surface or extra shelving?

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10. Enjoy your home — treat yourself to a simple pleasure. Bring home a lovely bottle of wine or flowers, just because. Invite friends to pop by on a weeknight to hang out in the backyard. Listen to great music while you cook breakfast. Think of a few simple ways to enjoy your home this month. You deserve it!

Get more ideas for simple pleasures at home

Tell us: What’s on your home to-do list this May?

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