There is something undeniably beautiful about autumn in New England. The changing leaves, crisp air, and colorful landscapes make this one of the most special times of year to enjoy our homes.

But as those beautiful leaves begin to fall, they also bring an important homeowner responsibility: seasonal cleanup.

New construction may offer modern mechanical systems, current insulation and air-sealing practices, updated electrical capacity, contemporary layouts and fewer immediately aging components.

Ask almost anyone what makes a home healthy, and the answers are familiar: clean air, good light, safe drinking water, sound construction, and a comfortable place to live. All true. But there is another kind of health that deserves a place in the conversation: financial health.

For a few extraordinary weeks each fall, New England does something no renovation budget can replicate: maples turn brilliant red and orange, oaks deepen to bronze, and views we've driven past a hundred times suddenly look like they belong on the cover of a magazine.

If your home looks spectacular right now, don't just enjoy it. Photograph it.

Most of us think of the dishwasher as the appliance that cleans up after dinner. From a healthy-home perspective, however, it is also something else: a source of heat, water and humidity operating almost every day in one of the most valuable rooms in the house.