Spring and cleaning just seem go together. While "Spring cleaning" generally comes with an interior focus, giving some special attention to the exterior of your home after a harsh winter is just as important in terms of home maintenance.

Below is a list of ten exterior home maintenance items to check come Spring:

1. Windows: Are any of your windows cracked? Is there any air leakage around the casing or joints? Are the screens in good repair? Do any of them need to be replaced before the upcoming mosquito and fly season.
2. Doors: How about the casing around your doors, too? Is there any air leakage? Is there a need to replace any glass or screen doors?
3. Decks and Porches: Do you have any wood decking which may need to be replaced or refinished? Are there any cracks in any paved or cemented areas which should be taken care of before they get worse?
4. Siding: Is there any chance that there is moisture building up behind your siding which could cause rotting or damage to your home? Take a peek yourself or hire an experienced handyman who knows how to check for you.
5. Power Washing: Is there any dirt build up on your home's exterior? How about debris built up in the crevices of your porches or walk ways? Do you have brick or cement paths which have been covered with mold during the wet seasons? Power washing is a speedy way to clean up those outdoor surfaces.
6. Painting: Do you have any painted exterior wood trim, decking or siding that is beginning to peel? These items may need to be stripped and resealed or painted. Temperatures are especially favorable for painting in the Spring.
7. Water: Do you have any water seeping into your basement? Usually it's due to an exterior issue which may or may not be simple to resolve and it should be looked into immediately.
8. Electrical Outlets: Are your outdoor power sources free and clear of debris? Do you have enough outlets? Just something to think about now so that when you need power for your next barbeque everything is working and ready to go.
9. Storage: Are you using your garage, attic space and storage sheds efficiently? Can shelving be added to those areas to optimize your storage space? With the upcoming Spring cleaning the more accessible and organized your storage is the better off you will be.
10. Gutters: Leaves from the Fall could be clogging up your rain gutters. If you can, get up on a ladder and clear them out. If you can't hire a handyman to clean those gutters out because if a gutter gets clogged and fills with water it could come tumbling off your roof.

Do you want to use the above list as a Spring check list of things to get taken care of but you lack the time or ability? Are you looking into other parts of your exterior that could use some special attention after a harsh winter but you lack the tools or skill necessary to bring things up to par? It's okay, hiring a handyman who has the time, ability, tools and necessary skill set to complete these projects makes perfect sense.