Making the effort to ensure your home is clean and well-maintained all year long can seem like an overwhelming task. Regular upkeep, not to mention updates and improvements, can really take it out of you if you let things pile up. But being proactive and setting out to handle everything strategically can be an easy method for putting your restless heart at ease.
With that in mind, keeping up with the basics and establishing a routine for when you tackle those simple chores and to-do items can go a long way toward taking your home maintenance from impossible to easy. In today’s blog article, we’re going to cover a few small outdoor chores and updates that will make a big difference in your quality of life.
Get The Maintenance Out Of The Way
The simplest way to keep your outdoors fresh and enjoyable is to knock out the little things on a regular basis. Sweep the deck, dust light fixtures and furniture, and vacuum outdoor rugs on a regular basis – and don’t try to do all-encompassing binge cleans. Tidying up a little bit at a time is much easier, and more rewarding, than trying (and usually failing) to scrub the entire area in a single day.
In addition to the cleaning that needs to be done, it’s a good idea to make a checklist of the little odds and ends that you’ll want to keep an eye on. Changing light bulbs, switching the direction of outdoor fans as the seasons change, and ensuring that your anti-pest controls are full and functioning are simple quality of life improvements – and ensuring that your smoke and CO2 detectors have fresh batteries is a smart safety move.
Shed A Little Light
Once everything’s crisp and clean, it’s time to address anything that’s missing. The biggest offender? Light. Adding more lights to your outdoor area is a great way to highlight your best assets – from a beautiful new deck to a social gathering space – and also makes the yard seem warm and welcoming.
Image Credit: HGTV (www.hgtv.com)
String lights (like the ones you see at outdoor bistros in swanky downtown areas) can be a massive improvement to the available lighting, and serve as a cute decoration in their own right. Spotlights, garden uplighting, and solar walkway lights can also improve the walkability of your yard without compromising the outdoor feel or requiring massive lighting overhauls.
Use Combo Fixtures To Save Space
Image Credit: 1001 Gardens (www.1001gardens.org)
Short on space? Combining uses for different items can allow you to achieve multiple ends in a single spot. For example, a few plain cinderblocks and some rustic boards can create benches and bars that double as planters. If you’re feeling crafty, you can add some paint or fabric to change the look of your new DIY furniture to something a little more upscale. Upcycling simple materials like this is a great way to get a lot of bang for your buck.