Depending on where you live, winters can be long, dark and cold. And during the winter, what most of us feel like doing is sitting on the couch curled up with a book and a cup of tea. Tackling a home improvement project during the cold winter months isn’t usually top of mind. But for many of us, with the arrival of spring’s sunshine and warmer weather also comes the desire to clean, freshen and make improvements to our homes, whether we live in a small apartment or a six-bedroom colonial.
Whether you’re looking to give your home a much needed makeover, add a few fresh coats of paint or tackle some larger projects, here are some ideas that can help you get started making your home feel as fresh and new as the spring season.
Brighten Up Your Living Space
Dark walls and heavy drapes can make any home look dull and unappealing, especially in rooms that don’t get a lot of natural light. Dark interiors can also create the illusion that your home isn’t clean. Repainting rooms with lighter paint colors and replacing light-blocking window treatments and ageing blinds with light-filtering curtains and shades is a relatively inexpensive way to freshen up your home for the spring and summer seasons, and when winter eventually returns your home will look brighter and more cheerful during the season’s dark days.
Get Rid of Dated Décor
If the walls in your house or apartment are still covered with wooden paneling from the 1950s or vinyl wallpaper from the ‘70s, you might want to think about updating your décor. Removed dated décor and replacing it with a fresh, contemporary looking pieces can go a long way to giving your living space a new look and feel. You can get ideas for inexpensively updating your décor in home magazines, home improvement stores and online at a variety of home décor websites.
Renew Your Home’s Exterior
The outside of your home can be as important and the inside when it comes to freshening up for spring. Planting flowers, cleaning up winter debris like leaves and branches, putting down a few fresh coats of paint and sprucing up a tired lawn are all ways you can give your exterior a new look. Depending on your budget and home much time you have, here are a few other ideas for improving your home’s exterior.
Hardscaping — Replacing a cracked walkway or aging outdoor patio can give your home a whole new look on the outside. Most hardscaping projects can be completed in a week or two, and a wide variety of materials are available, from natural stone to manufactured bricks and textured concrete. While many hardscaping projects require professional expertise, there are some easy projects, like building a short stone wall, that you might want to try tackling on your own.
Gutters — Updating your home’s gutter system not only provides protection from water damage, it can also make your home’s exterior look fresher and more attractive. Gutters are also available in a variety of materials, including vinyl, copper and steel. New systems installation can sometimes be completed in a single day, and you’ll have the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’ve protected your home for years to come. For homeowners who are thinking of putting their home on the market, new gutters can also increase your home’s value.
Landscaping — Beautiful landscaping can go a long way when it comes to increasing your home’s value. Flowering trees and shrubs, a manicured lawn and well-placed flowerbeds are always a good investment. Attractive landscaping can also make living in your home more enjoyable and improve the overall look of your neighborhood.
Spruce Up Your Kitchen
If you’re like many people, you probably spend a lot of time in your kitchen cooking, entertaining, and eating with your family and friends. If your kitchen looks dated, has aging appliances or if your cabinets or floor are in need of repair, fixing them up can go a long way toward making your entire house feel fresh and new.
Although it can be expensive and time consuming, a kitchen makeover can also improve the quality of your everyday life, making daily tasks like cooking easier, and providing you and your family with a pleasant space for entertaining, dining and relaxing.
If you can’t afford or don’t want to renovate your entire kitchen, you could also consider replacing aging appliances, repainting, or updating outdated flooring to give the look of your kitchen a boost.