Whether you plan to list your home for sale this spring or you plan to stay put, there’s no doubt that every home could use some spring-time sprucing, both inside and outside. Below are tips for some no-cost and low-cost updates. With that extra hour of Daylight Saving Time “springing forward,” there’s an extra hour for getting your home in peak perfect shape.
Outdoor
If you are looking to keep your refresh on the cheap, bear in mind that a little scrubbing and elbow grease costs nothing but your time. Consider clearing brush or trimming back shrubs or tree limbs (especially if they are eclipsing the view of your home). Clear gutters and free them of fallen leaves or debris. Clean your outdoor windows. Knock away cobwebs on porches and outside surfaces. Hose off or pressure wash high traffic areas like sidewalks or porch steps.
Once the outside of your home is clear and reset, you might be ready to spend a few dollars at your favorite home improvement store. Does your front door need repainting? Do any hinges or locks need replacing? Could your mailbox or house letters use updating? If you really want to wow the neighbors or potential buyers you might purchase some fresh flowers to plant in your landscaping beds or at least inside containers for your porch. Add a new porch mat or porch pillows and complete the look that says, “Welcome home!”
Indoor
If you’ve used up a warm and sunny weekend for your outdoor preparations for spring, consider focusing on the inside when the weather isn’t cooperating. If you are stuck indoors anyway, might as well make good use of the time.
Many people are spending more time at home than ever this past year, and if you’ve allowed your home to become cluttered or haven’t been motivated to keep the cleaning routines in place, there’s no better time to get a good purging, organizing, and cleaning session underway. When it comes to getting rid of clutter, two systems seem to be popular: either clear away unwanted items “by room,” taking one room at a time, or clear away items “by category.” As an example, start with all clothing, then toys, then books, and then electronics. Anything that can be donated or thrown away is just less to organize and clean later.
Speaking of organizing, are there any new systems you could incorporate going into a new season? Is it time to tackle your shoe or photo collection? Does your junk drawer or craft room need some attention? Get some bins or boxes and get to work. Identify what areas of your home could use some order and start small.
Finally, once things have been thinned out, categorized, and systemized, now it’s time to clean. While it’s true that any amount of cleaning, however small is better than no cleaning at all, spring is a really good time to do a very thorough overhaul of the entire house. Start from the top and work your way down. Clean ceiling fan blades, light fixtures, and corner cobwebs. Next, wipe down walls, clean windows, and vacuum baseboards. Get behind appliances like the washer, dryer, and refrigerator to completely eradicate dust bunnies. While you’re at it, might as well clean the insides of these appliances too. Give your kitchen cabinets a good sanitization and move on to your floors. Bathrooms, furniture, and electronics should round out the final stage.
While this amount of deep cleaning may sound daunting, it pays to keep your home tidy, refreshed, and in tip-top shape. If cleaning isn’t your thing, keep in mind you can certainly pay someone else to come do the dirty work for you! A clean home is a happy home and a home that’s ready to sell.