Your Las Vegas summer home probably is a refuge and your home away from home, but it's “funny” sometimes how much it can resemble your home base, too.

This is a good thing, especially when it comes to maintenance. After acquiring so much experience in managing and maintaining your primary home, you're smart enough to know you cannot possibly tackle every project at your Las Vegas summer home at the same time. You have to prioritize projects by urgency.

This is why the roofing experts at First Quality Roofing & Insulation recommend getting the roof of your Las Vegas summer home inspected first. The last thing you want is a roof leak to mar your summer vacation – and possibly wreak havoc with your summer budget. After you check off this important task, divide your “to-do” list into two sections:

Time's-a-tickin' projects

• Test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Replace the batteries if you haven't done so in several months.

• Schedule projects involving contractors. Summer schedules can fill up quickly. So if you need an installation (a new air conditioner or water heater), repair work (attic insulation or sidewalk reinforcement) or a new addition (a patio or deck), tend to these issues without delay.

• Make an appointment for an air conditioner checkup. An annual cleaning will help ensure your air conditioner goes the distance this summer. And if your system needs a repair, better to find out now before it blooms into a larger problem.

• Clean your gutters and downspouts. In all likelihood, they've accumulated some debris since the last cleaning. Water from overflowing downspouts spills over the top, but also into your home, triggering repairs that can quickly soar into the five-digit range. If you need a hand with this important task, call First Quality Roofing & Insulation.

• Replenish your first-aid kits and emergency supplies, for both your Las Vegas summer home and for any day trips you plan to take on foot or in the car.

• Replace storm doors and windows and install screens. Brush them off and hose them down first and inspect them carefully for holes. Screens are great for ushering in cool, night air, but you don't want them to serve as an invitation to mosquitoes and insects.

Let the fun begin projects

• Prime your summer “playground gear.” Inspect your boat, life preservers, tent, bicycles, tennis racquets and every “toy” now so you enjoy smooth sailing the rest of the summer.

• Designate a spot to air-dry beach towels and bathing suits. If your Las Vegas summer home doesn't have a mudroom, place a large rug and drying rack near a back door and enjoy the convenience of the next best thing.

• Refresh your bathrooms with new shower curtains and towels.

• Reorganize your kitchen appliances. Personalize your Las Vegas summer home and make it a meeting place at the same time by stowing “winter appliances” (slow cookers and electric skillets) and replacing them with a blender for smoothies, an iced-coffee machine, popcorn maker and maybe even a snow cone maker.
  
  When you're finished with these projects, sit back at your Las Vegas summer home and unwind with a copy of First Quality's “Ultimate Money Saving Guide.” It contains ideas and rebates for saving money on banking, insurance and home utilities. Our ideas are as refreshing as a summer night breeze – and you can put them to good use at your primary, home too – all year long.