Household Maintenance Made Simple
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There are numerous benefits to owning a home, including independence and the opportunity to fully customize your living space. Maintaining your home, however, can be a lot of work and is one reason many people consider renting instead. A house is a lot of responsibility but is also considered the ideal goal in our idea of the American dream.
So don’t let the task of maintaining a household deter you from homeownership. Instead, simply implement some tricks for making the upkeep smother and less of a hassle. After all, your home should be where you feel safe and relaxed, not stressed and overworked. It’s easy to get frustrated with the attention and time you must put into your home, but it can also be easy to simplify things and make them far more manageable.
Outside In
While the interior of the house may be your main focus, the outside can be just as important so you should make sure you’re not neglecting it. Depending on where you live and how much property you own exterior upkeep can be a big job, but it’s a requirement. How your home looks from the outside is a huge factor for property value not just for your own house but for others in the neighborhood as well.
Maintaining the lawn of your home is extremely important to keep the grass healthy, manageable, and aesthetically clean. Some neighborhoods even have a required length of grass so maintaining it is a must. Take a look at your exterior space and determine what needs to be done so you can make a lawn care schedule. Decide when and how often to cut the grass, trim any bushes, pull weeds, and anything else that may need to be done.
You can also consider starting a garden. Not only will this add to the look of your home’s exterior but it can be very beneficial as well. You can plant fruit or vegetables to eat, herbs for seasonings and teas, or flowers to attract and help out pollinators like bees and butterflies. Plus, gardening can be incredibly therapeutic and can help give your outdoor space a sense of beauty and tranquility.
Another great way to utilize your home’s exterior is by creating an outdoor living space. You can set up all kinds of outdoor furniture to create an area where you can entertain guests or just relax. Get a table, chairs, and a grill for a nice barbecue area, or set up a hammock under some shade for a cozy napping spot. You could even consider getting a pool if your home doesn’t already have one or putting in a fire pit for relaxing nights under the stars.
Neat and Tidy
Owning a home means being responsible for everything running smoothly and efficiently. From the plumbing to the electricity to cable and internet, there can be a lot of different things to manage. And if your home is larger it can be even more of a task to not only keep everything in working order but also to keep everything sparkling clean.
A big mistake many homeowners make is waiting until something breaks or stops working to fix it, which can increase your stress as well as the expense of replacements or repairs. Familiarize yourself with your home and every appliance and machine in it. You don’t have to become an expert on maintenance of course, but you should at least know the basics of how things work so you can spot when things begin to run less efficiently. If you notice something isn’t working how it should, don’t ignore it. Do your research and call a specialist right away so the small problem doesn’t become a major one.
In addition to everything working smoothly, everything in your home should be clean as well. Whether you find cleaning to be relaxing or can’t stand it, it’s an important part of owning a home and should be done thoroughly. Take the time to try out different cleaning products to find which is best for your house’s needs, find some easy cleaning tricks and hacks, and create a schedule to keep yourself on track. You can dedicate a day to cleaning the house or schedule some time each day for cleaning different areas.
Make Your House a Home
While your home must be functional, it should be comfortable and personalized as well. A house shouldn’t be just a shelter where you sleep away from the elements. It should be a space to call your own, a place where you can live and entertain, a place that makes you happy.
You should set up your home to be convenient and functional according to your needs. If you don’t really need a guest room turn it into an office or a craft room for your hobbies instead. If you have a pet, be sure to create spaces for them where they can play and rest comfortably. Not everyone needs the same things out of a house. Orient your space for what best suits you and your lifestyle.
Never be afraid to add your personal touches anywhere and everywhere. It’s your home and it should reflect who you are and how you like to live. Choose artwork that inspires you, paint the walls your favorite colors, and pick furniture that you’ll be most comfortable on. You can tailor everything to your personal aesthetic and make your home unique to you. Get creative and have fun setting up your living space.
A happy home is one that is clean, functional, convenient, and one that speaks to who you are and the things you like. Your house shouldn’t be just a building, but an extension of you and your lifestyle. You can find so many ways to make your house feel more like home and more relaxing and fun than stressful. Home is where the heart is, so put your heart into caring for your home.
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This content is brought to you by Jessica Lombardy.
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