May is the last comfortable month to work outside in Arkansas. By the middle of June you will not want to be on a ladder, and your HVAC company's schedule will be booked three weeks out because everyone waited.
So here is the list, in the order we would actually do it. The first two items are the ones that matter most here. The rest are worth doing and can slide a week or two if life gets busy.
1. Service the HVAC before you need it
This is the single most important thing on the list, and it is not close.
Central Arkansas summers are hot and humid, and your air conditioning runs harder here and longer than it does in most of the country. A system that limps through May will fail in July, and July is exactly when every HVAC company in Pulaski County is running behind.
Get a licensed technician out now for a service call. Have them check refrigerant, clean the coils, and inspect the drain line, which is the part that clogs and quietly dumps water into a ceiling. Change your filter and then change it again on a schedule you can remember, like the first of every month.
While you are at it, take a look in the attic. Insulation levels have more effect on an Arkansas summer utility bill than almost anything else you can do for the money.
2. Clear the gutters and check where the water goes
Spring storms move a lot of debris, and Central Arkansas gets more than its share of hard rain and hail.
Clean the gutters and then do the more important half: walk the downspouts. Where is the water landing? If it is dumping right against the foundation, extend it. Our clay soil expands and contracts with moisture, which is why foundation and drainage questions come up so often on inspection reports around here. Managing roof water is the cheapest foundation work you will ever do.
While you are outside, look up at the roof from the ground. Missing shingles, granules in the gutter, or lifted flashing after a hail spring are worth a call to a roofer now rather than in October. Insurance claims have deadlines.
3. Do an electrical walkthrough
May is National Electrical Safety Month, which is as good a prompt as any for a fifteen minute pass through the house.
- Check cords and outlets for fraying, scorch marks, or heat. Replace anything damaged.
- Make sure power strips are not overloaded and that they actually have surge protection, not just multiple outlets.
- Stop using extension cords for window units, space heaters, or anything else that draws heavy continuous power. Those cords are not built for it.
- Test your GFCI outlets in bathrooms, the kitchen, the garage, and outdoors. There is a test button on the outlet. Push it.
- Cover unused outlets if you have small children or pets.
Test smoke detectors on the same walk. If they are older than ten years, replace the units, not the batteries.
4. Wash the windows
Arkansas pollen season leaves a film on everything. Once it eases, exterior windows are worth an afternoon.
Warm water, a little dish soap, a non-scratch pad, and a squeegee handles it. Work on an overcast day or on whichever side of the house is in shade, because direct sun dries the glass too fast and leaves streaks. If your windows are on a second story or over a slope, hire it out. A clean window is not worth a fall.
5. Clean and repair the fence
After a wet spring, most fences around here look rough. Pressure washing does more than people expect, and it is often the whole job.
Then walk the line looking for leaning posts, rotted rails, and gaps at the bottom. Fix the structural pieces now while the ground is workable. If you are thinking about selling in the next year, know that a sagging fence reads to buyers as deferred maintenance everywhere else in the house. Fair or not, that is how it lands.
6. Patch cracks in walkways and the driveway
Freeze and thaw cycles plus shifting soil open up cracks in concrete every winter. Fill them before water gets in and makes them wider.
Uneven sidewalk sections are a trip hazard and a liability question. If the broken section is in the public right of way rather than on your property, call the city and report it so the right party handles it.
7. Get the grill and outdoor space ready
The fun one. Deep clean the grates, check the burners and the gas line for leaks with soapy water, and replace the propane tank if you are guessing about its level.
Then look at the patio, deck, or porch the way a guest would. Pressure wash it, check for soft or rotting deck boards, and make sure the railing is solid. Outdoor living space gets used hard from May through September in Arkansas, and it is one of the first things buyers notice if you ever list.
Why any of this matters beyond comfort
Every item here is small. Together they are the difference between a house that inspects clean and a house that generates a three-page repair request.
Chase says it this way: "It's all the little things."
Homeowners who keep up with maintenance in May are the ones who get to choose their timing later, rather than scrambling to fix six things at once because a buyer's inspector found them all in the same afternoon. If selling is somewhere on your horizon, our guide to selling a home in Little Rock covers what actually pays off before you list, and our FAQ answers most of the questions that come next.
And if you want a Realtor to walk the house with you and give you an honest read on what to fix and what to leave alone, we are glad to do that.
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