With weather and temperatures now steadily improving, it's the ideal time to tackle a variety of tasks inside and outside the home in readiness for the warmer months ahead.

Here's a guide to some of the the most important things to take care of:

Air conditioning - It's never a good idea to wait until a problem with your air conditioner suddenly surfaces. The best measure to prevent this happening is to book an annual service right now. Your external unit also needs to be sufficiently clear of surrounding vegetation and anything else that might interrupt adequate airflow.

Lawn and yard sprinklers - The entire irrigation system needs to be checked for full functionality and controllers should be set to avoid costly and wasteful excess water usage.

Windows and doors - Good air sealing around windows and doors is as important in summer as it is in the cold months, but now you're concerned with preventing cool air from escaping and running up higher energy bills. Now is the time to look for and repair any damaged seals.

Clean your windows - It's best to clean off accumulated winter dirt on a cloudy day. This helps to avoid unsightly water streaks.

Screens - The last thing you want is insects and other critters entering your home, so make sure that your window and door screens haven't suffered any winter damage. Repair kits are available from all good home improvement outlets.

Fencing - Take a close look at your fencing to establish if any areas have been weakened during the winter. Regular fence maintenance helps to avoid bigger issues in future.

Paving - Walkways and paving can be damaged in harsh winter weather. Pressure washing these areas now helps you to identify any changes and to make reparations.

Roofing and guttering - Binoculars can be a great help in making a pretty thorough check of your roof for any signs of winter damage and now is the right time to be arranging any necessary repairs. Trees should be trimmed so that they are a few feet away from any roof elevation, to prevent easy home access for critters etc. Also ensure that your gutters and downpipes are free of leaves and other obstructions to enable good water flow off the roof.

Outside faucets - If you haven't already done so, give your outside faucets a test run. Pipes may need professional inspection if the water stops.

Paintwork - Winter often takes a toll on paintwork and it also needs to be made good to avoid further decay in very sunny conditions.

Decks - Pressure washing helps to reveal if your deck needs restaining. You should also verify that the deck structure is still sound and capable of supporting the potential additional guest loads in summer events.

We hope that at least some of these tips serve as a handy reminder.