Key Ways to Update Your Home Now for Spring

Now that spring is here, you might be thinking about starting a big spring clean at your home. If you want to take things a step further, though, now is also a great time to consider doing some refresh work on your property.

You could do all sorts of jobs, but here are some that suit this time of year nicely.

Improve the Landscaping

Spring is one of the best times to plant new trees, shrubs, or flowers in your yard. If it’s currently looking bare, take the time now to buy and put in some new greenery, and by summer, your outdoor spaces will look more inviting, and you’ll have more protection from the elements, too.

Ensure you learn how wide and tall different plants can grow to, though, over time, so you don’t opt for anything that will be too big for its space. Also, don’t plant things too close to your home or the fence line, as these things can end up causing issues due to falling leaves in gutters, root systems that disturb fences and plumbing, and more.

You may also want to spend time removing dead plants or relocating those already too big for where they were planted. Plus, trim back trees and shrubs and remove fallen branches. In addition, spend time working on your lawn. Water, fertilize, mow, aerate, and weed it, so it’s as lush and green as possible over the coming months.

Switch Up Patio Furniture

Another job you might want to tick off your to-do list sooner rather than later is replacing old patio furniture with nicer, newer pieces. Get these items sorted now so you’re ready to start using your outdoor areas more and more as the weather warms up. Buying now also means that more stock should be available before summer hits and everyone wants to update their patio gear.

Start by sourcing a lovely new table you can eat at with your loved ones and when entertaining family, friends, colleagues, and the like. Add some comfortable patio chairs, and you might also like to decorate your external entertaining space with some bench seating, Adirondack chairs, ottomans, a rocking chair, and some relaxing chaise lounge options.

Complete Some Painting

If your home hasn’t been painted in many years, this is another job you could complete in the coming weeks before it gets too hot to want to work on this area. If you don’t have the time, inclination, or funds to paint your entire home, you could refresh your property by painting a feature wall here and there or updating the rooms that most need new paint.

Over a few weekends, though, you could likely freshen up your whole home with new paint on the walls and ceilings. Just be sure you spend time preparing correctly for this job. For example, clean and patch walls, tape up areas you don’t want to get paint on, such as windowsills, and clear furniture, drapes, and the like away so that there isn’t a chance of them being splattered accidentally.

Also, ensure you test out a few colors before buying too much paint so you feel confident in your decision. Choose light, airy-looking hues that will help to give your home a summery vibe, such as soft yellows or greens, light gray, crisp white, or warm terracotta.

Invest in HVAC

Before summer gets here and the temperature rises dramatically, it’s also a good idea to invest in cooling options for your home. It’s nice to have fans to use in bedrooms and living rooms, in particular, for times when you just need to move hot air around to make areas more comfortable. In addition, you might like air conditioning for use on the super humid and heated days when you can’t get cool otherwise.

Alternatively, if money is an issue and your budget is tight, get appliances serviced or repaired so they run better and more optimally, keeping you cooler and saving on power bills.

Other home updates to complete this spring include putting in a skylight if needed, adding more mirrors to make your place appear bigger and brighter, decluttering, and changing heavy, dark accessories, fittings, and fixtures for lighter ones. You could also update your bedding and move furniture around to give rooms a new look and feel.

Make these types of updates, and your home will look more contemporary and inviting and be more comfortable to live in, too.

- by Matt Watts

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