Owning a home is a work in progress – there’s always something fix, maintain or replace. And if you don’t stay on top of it, your to-do list can grow quickly.
Property is the most significant investment most of us ever make and so time and effort should be invested to keep it in great shape.
As an experienced local real estate agent, I can quickly spot the difference between a beautifully maintained property and one that’s been readied for sale quickly and cheaply.
If maintenance work banks up, it can quickly become overwhelming, and most owners will push it to the back of their minds. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Here are some pointers to help you maintain and improve your home with small-scale tasks that are cheap yet will have a significant impact on your enjoyment of the property.
Make a list – Walk around the property and make a note of all the jobs – big and small – that need doing. Decide which ones you’re prepared to undertake and those that require a contractor. Don’t add to your list once it’s complete. There’s nothing more demoralising than a never-ending list.
Put tasks in your calendar – Make a time commitment to complete each DIY job. This way, you can organise the rest of your life. This takes some discipline, but having deadlines is the best way to make sure you get the job done.
Now, here are a handful of cheap yet high-impact jobs that you can take on without ruining your weekends.
- Repaint the front door – First impressions count. Give the front door a fresh lick of gloss paint, as well as a smart new handle. Maybe you can include your street number, too. It’s fashionable to use primary colours or black to make a statement.
- Lighten up – New lighting fixtures can transform a room and when you do it throughout your home, you’ll be amazed at the impact. Of course, most quality fixtures will need to be installed by an electrician so this could be a task for your contractor list, but you’ll need to find lights and buy them and this can take time. For your bathroom, put in infrared lights as they will act as a heater, too.
- Zap those dark corners – All homes have dark corners, and the ideal remedy is a skylight. Get these professionally installed ideally as messing up your roof can result in leaks.
- Install some storage – Storage space is always high on the list of demands from prospective buyers. We all want somewhere to stick our stuff. Get ahead of the game and install shelving in the kitchen, bathroom and even the bedrooms. The garage will also benefit.
- Go for a declutter – With your new shelves firmly attached to the walls, spend a couple of hours going through your home, tidying away various items and discarding those that you never use. Perhaps you can give some of the possessions to friends, neighbours or charity. Decluttering feels good and always creates additional living space. Doing it once a year is great with a spring clean.
- Update your curtains – This is such a simple task and makes a significant impact. Perhaps you’re tired of curtains and would prefer modern blinds. The variety of styles and pricing is vast. You can go high-end and have them professionally installed, or pop down to a hardware store and do this task yourself at a fraction of the cost if you’re handy with a drill.
- Be cool, go green – In these environmentally conscious times, potted plants and terrariums in the home are the height of fashion. If you want to impress, consider building a wall-garden of herbs near your kitchen door. Buy pre-made boxes and wall pockets will reduce the time you spend on this task but make sure they’re regularly watered or install a watering system.
- Kitchen capers – Transform your home by updating the kitchen by replacing cabinet and drawer doors. You stain or paint the wood and apply mouldings yourself. Or alternatively, order the pre-made doors and then install them and add new, modern handles.
- Pave your way – If your paths look dirty, there are two ways to go. First, hire a pressure hose and clean them with an anti-fungal wash. You’ll be amazed at how they come up. If more drastic action is needed, then lay new pavers. That’s a solid task that may take a few weekends by the time you’ve sourced and prepared the ground, but you won’t regret it.