Summer is finally here and, after a stressful and claustrophobic spring, everyone is ready to relax, enjoy the nice weather, and have as much fun as possible. Reorganizing your home right now will help you and your family make the most of the season, even if you probably won’t be able to travel to your favorite holiday destinations.
Here’s how to turn your home into an enjoyable “staycation” space:
1. Organize your seasonal items
Make more room at home by putting into storage items such as winter sports equipment, heavy clothing and footwear, winter duvets, snow blowers and other things you only use during the cold season. Alternatively, think about getting storage space away from home as a perfect place to keep your winter decorations and lighting, or snow tires – you’ll free up a lot of room inside your home, your garage and your backyard.
2. Tend to your backyard
Turn your backyard into an inviting space for spending time outdoors during the long summer afternoons and evenings. Take your garden furniture out and clean it thoroughly. Inspect your lawn mower and make sure it works properly. Add some color and perfume to your backyard by planting some flowers, herbs and veggies in your pots and your garden beds.
3. Get ready to grill
Grilling outside is one of summer’s greatest pleasures and, truth be told, it’s actually wise and efficient to cook outdoors as much as possible during the summer. This way, you avoid overheating your kitchen and your entire house, and you save money on your electricity bill.
Clean your outdoor grill and create a zone dedicated to cooking around it. Adding a work surface and an outdoor sink next to the grill, completed by comfortable chairs and a large table, will stimulate you to prepare and enjoy most of your dinners outside during the summer.
4. Do air conditioning maintenance
Prepare for the sweltering summer heat by replacing your air conditioner’s filters. If you have central AC, call a maintenance company to have it professionally looked at. The last thing you need during a heat wave is your air conditioning system giving up on you.
5. Pay attention to your windows
Now is the perfect time to clean your windows, inside and out, and to wash your drapes and curtains. You’ll get rid of all the dust and dirt accumulated throughout the winter, and you’ll be able to enjoy the beautiful light of summer’s sunrises in your home. However, you also need to be prepared to protect your interior from excessive heat. Make sure that your windows, especially the ones facing south, are fitted with drapes or blinds you can close when it’s too hot.
6. Clean your gutters
It’s important to clean your gutters regularly, and even more so now as the summer is starting. Dead leaves, twigs and other debris accumulate in the gutters and you need to take all that out. Summer storms and showers can be intense and, if all that rainwater doesn’t have space to drain properly, it will damage your roofing and other exterior areas of your home, such as walls or decks.
7. Get painting
From painting your living room or outside walls to sanding and painting your decking, doors, tables and chairs, there’s no better time to do all that than early summer. The weather is warm, but not so hot that you can’t be outside or work with your windows open, saving you from inhaling a lot of paint fumes and dust. Also, paint dries pretty quickly, which means your projects will be done in no time. Pick your favorite color and get your painting pants on, then enjoy a whole summer in your newly revamped home.
8. What about the floors?
Pack your heavy, thick rugs and carpets and put them in storage during the summer. Your home will look airier and lighter with naked floors during the hot season. Also, summer involves a lot of going in and out, and it will be easier to maintain cleanliness this way, especially if you have young children or pets. Washing dirt and mud from floors takes just a few minutes but getting the same stuff out of carpets is literally mission impossible.
9. Organize your garden shed
Sort through your garden shed and transform it into a well-organized space. Throw away all the broken pots, old buckets and rusting tools you have in there and replace them with a basic set of good-quality gardening equipment – this way, you’ll be able to actually find your garden scissors or hose when you need them.
10. Set up some entertainment
You’ll be spending more time outdoors if you have something fun to do out there. Whether it’s a trampoline, a hot tub, or maybe a screen and projector for movie nights, set up some entertainment for you and your family.
Do you have any special plans for this summer’s staycation? Let us know in the comments!
