No matter who you are or where you live, chances are, you want your home to be the absolute best it can be. This is only logical and, if you feel this way, you’re far from alone. At the end of the day, our homes are our pride and joy. They’re representations of ourselves, our tastes and our interests. They’re where we want to entertain family and friends. They’re where we want to show people how we live. Then, our homes are where our hearts are. They’re the spaces we retire to after a long day at work. This is where we will kick back and relax, watch TV, cook delicious meals, have long baths, sleep at night, the list goes on. You’re going to want to surround yourself with the nicest environment you possibly can while doing all of these things. Finally, our homes tend to be our biggest financial investments in life. They’re the largest payment that comes out of our bank accounts each month and they’re the assets we’ll have to count on down the line or to leave to our children. Put simply, we love our homes. But over time, you may find that your home isn’t ticking all of your boxes anymore. Sure, this can sometimes be an indicator to move. But in others, it simply means that your property needs a bit of an overhaul. If you’re going for the second option, here are some steps you can take to help get your home in ship shape and up to your standards once more!
Declutter
Any form of home improvement should start off in the same place – decluttering. Now, some homes are more cluttered than others, but at the end of the day, pretty much all of us will be guilty of allowing clutter to build up in our homes at some point or another. We’re only human and we tend to buy things we don’t need, get gifts that we don’t particularly want or simply pick up freebies that end up filling up our free space and leaving our homes feeling overwhelming and uncomfortable. By decluttering, you can free up your space and create a blank canvas to work with on further home improvements. Here are some simple steps to decluttering that will work every single time.
Choose what to remove – the first step to take on your journey to decluttering is to determine what items you do not need or want in your home. You’ll be surprised by just how much stuff really isn’t necessary and doesn’t even hold any sentimental value. Organise all of this into one area of your home. You may need to be a little brutal with your decision making. If you haven’t used it in a long time and you’re not really attached to it, it’s time for it to go.
- Sell items of value – of course, some of these items may hold some monetary value. If this is the case, it’s definitely worth selling them. You can get some money back on your original purchase and send them to a home where someone else will get good use out of them. There are so many online sales platforms nowadays that getting rid of items you want to sell is easier than ever. Popular options include Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Etsy, Depop, Schpock, Gumtree and more.
- Recycle and donate – there will inevitably be some items that simply don’t sell. These items can be recycled if they are broken and of no use to anyone. For these items, if you have a lot on hand, you should use Sheridan Skips. If they are quality but simply don’t have a buyer or are of low value, you can always send them to a charity shop where they can sell for a good cause!
Deep Cleaning
Once you have a blank canvas of a home, it’s time to start deep cleaning. Now, this can be time consuming and tiring, so if you don’t have the time on your hands, are unable to deep clean yourself or simply don’t have the energy, you may want to call in professional cleaners. They can take care of all of the tasks you usually miss or simply don’t get the time to focus on. If you do have time and energy on your hands, you can tackle these tasks yourself. Some common areas of focus include:
Carpet Cleaning – if you have carpets, you probably vacuum them on a regular basis. But when it comes down to it, this does only lift surface dirt. More dirt can get ground into the fibres and may be more difficult to lift out. Instead, you need to make sure that you use a professional carpet cleaner or carpet cleaning machine every so often to thoroughly wash the pile. Carpet cleaning tends to see particularly good results in homes with children or pets, where spills and accidents tend to be more common.
- Cleaning the Oven – food tends to splash or drip in the oven and then can become baked onto the different walls inside. It can be difficult to scrub this off, but there are all sorts of great cleaning products you can use to help. Make sure to read the instructions on any oven cleaning kit thoroughly. Often, they contain corrosive ingredients that require gloves and goggles to be worn during use.
- Other Untouched Areas – many areas of your home will go untouched for some time. They tend to be areas that don’t build up noticeable dirt, but do become dusty or collect debris over a period of months. Pay these attention during your deep cleaning tasks. Wipe down skirting boards, clear your gutters, dust corners and the tops of door frames or cupboards. You will notice the difference in the end.
As you can see, there’s a lot to take on board when it comes to refreshing your home, but the results will speak volumes and be more than worth your time and effort. Hopefully, the tips above will get this whole journey off to the best start possible – and will leave quality results!
The Coastal Mummy 
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