Freshen Up: Quick Tips to Get Your Home Spring-Ready

Guest post by Andrea Erickson

Spring is approaching quickly, so it’s time to stop and get your home ready! This time of the year is perfect for reinventing styles, cleaning out old clutter, and creating a property you’re proud to invite people into. Whether you’ve owned your home for years or you’re updating a house you just bought, these tips can make it ready for the new season.

1. Start With Decluttering

Decluttering is king when it comes to updating any part of your property. Not only does clutter look bad visually, but it can also hide or disguise problems with the home. A closet full of boxes can hide mold or electrical issues in the walls behind them, and a cluttered space beneath your sink can hide leaks.

Work from room to room and declutter. Donate, sell, or give away everything you can, and then recycle or throw away the rest. You can still keep anything that truly matters to you but don’t hold onto items that end up untouched for years on end. 

2. Cleaning Top Down

When you start cleaning, it’s important to start from the top down. This process is both inside and outside of your home, starting with clearing out gutters and ceiling fans, respectively. 

Starting top down not only gives you a clear guide on what to begin with but also ensures that you don’t ruin the lower areas of your home by cleaning the top last.

You can do this room by room or clean each zone over the entire home in one go. Remember to take breaks and space this out so you don’t get overwhelmed. Doing too much at the beginning can lead to burnout, which will make you less likely to complete the entire home.

3. Your Windows Can Use Help

Windows are one of the best parts of any property since they allow natural light to make its way inside, but they’re also the worst part for energy efficiency. When you’re getting your home spring-ready, it’s a good idea to stop and make sure your windows and doorways aren’t letting any air in or out.

You can do this by carrying a piece of loose string or a lit candle and watching if the string or flame moves around and shows an air current.

If you have a tight budget, you can simply seal the windows themselves, but this is a problem that can come back time and time again. Eventually, replacing your windows with high-quality ones is the best choice.

4. Keeping Temperatures Steady

Whether you’re in a hot, cool, or temperate climate, sustainable insulation can make all the difference. Insulation can block out moisture, temperature fluctuations, insect life, and even noise.

Keeping temperatures down ensures your property is more energy efficient and able to take on whatever’s thrown at it. Energy-efficient buildings have become a hot buy in recent years, with buyers eager to pay more and buy these properties faster.

5. Protect Your Roof

Even the best green roofing solutions need some work over time. While you’re updating your property, take the time to check for leaks, remove debris, and take care of your roof. Slate roofs can last over a hundred years under the right conditions, so doing your best to offer those is vital.

If you notice your roof is showing its age, it’s important that you replace it as quickly as possible. A roof can go from poor to terrible quality over one season, and leaks and cave-ins can ruin the interior of your home as well.

6. Power Washing the Exterior

If you really want a clean and fresh home, it’s time to power wash! Renting one of these machines is less than $80 a day at most home repair shops and gives you the time to deep clean your home’s exterior and leave it looking fresh. 

This can be used on brick, siding, concrete, and so much more. Remember to never spray up into siding or shingles, and avoid all glass and windows. Your home will be sparkling in no time!

7. Getting an Awesome HVAC System

Your HVAC system needs to pull a lot of weight, especially in recent years, when the weather seems to fluctuate wildly, and it’s hard to predict. The average air conditioning unit has a thirty-year lifespan, and this can be even shorter in areas where they’re running constantly, like in Arizona or Nevada.

Look at systems and companies that have good reviews, and remember to swap out or clean your filters often to help them run as well as possible. This is a huge step in energy efficiency.

Your Home Can Be a Breath of Fresh Air

Although spring cleaning can feel like a lot to take on, you can refresh your home with ease. Follow some of these tips to get your property spring-ready. 

You may want to also consider working with PRKWilliams.com to further improve the health of your home. You spend your quality time at home. You deserve to breathe in pure AIR, drink clean WATER and have safe SURFACES and BUILDING MATERIALS. PRK Williams Building Group specializes in building and DESIGNING healthy homes. They can add healthy home features to your newly constructed home or to your existing home.

Author Bio

Andrea Erickson is a freelance writer who loves sharing her knowledge and expertise in renovation and Interior Design. She lives in her hometown of Austin, Texas where she enjoys spending time with her husband and decorating with her children. Andrea’s work as a freelance writer can be found on Building Product Advisor, a construction industry resource site.