There’s a joke that does the rounds every now and again: “If your husband/wife/partner says h/she/they e will fix something around the house, he/she/they will do it. There’s no need to keep nagging him/her/them every six months.”
While this might give some people a chuckle, the truth is we all put off the cleaning and repair jobs that don’t exactly spark joy, especially when life gets busy.
If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and tackle a few of those outstanding projects we have some tips.
What to DIY and what to outsource
Most tradespeople will tell you they are often called in once a DIY job has gone awry, so unless you have a lot of experience, stick to smaller, simple projects. Leave things like plumbing and anything related to electricity to the pros, and don’t attempt to use dangerous tools if you’re unfamiliar with them.
However, with that being said, there are plenty of things you can do around your Maryborough house.
Sort your storage
First things first, it’s decluttering time. Go through your linen closet, wardrobe, kitchen cupboards and laundry. Have separate piles of things to keep, repurpose, sell online, pass on to charity and throw away.
If you’re overwhelmed, start with a type of item, for example, jackets, shoes or towels. With your entire collection in front of you, it should be easy to make decisions.
There is no better feeling than an organized wardrobe, pantry, or toy room. While you’re decluttering, keep a cloth and bucket of warm soapy water handy so you can also wipe things down.
Many local furniture and stores are open and offer contactless collections, so do some research if you are looking to buy shelves or storage units to help tidy your home. Flat-pack bookshelves, storage units, or shelves can make a big difference to the way your home is organized, and they are easy to assemble.
If you don’t want to earn some extra cash from decluttering, consider donating some of your reusable belongings to a local charity.
Cleaning: Go deep
It’s not an attractive prospect but there are certain cleaning tasks that you’ll find very satisfying to complete.
These include:
– Under the fridge
– Under the beds
– Behind and under the couch
– Your outside gutters
– Your oven
– Your fridge
– Your front door (or consider pressure washing the entire front of your house, including your driveway)
– Air conditioner filter
You can delegate tasks like polishing doorknobs or cleaning windows to older children, with an incentive for their participation.
The advantages of doing a deep clean include appliances working better than they have in a while and potentially discovering areas of your home that are in real need of attention.
While cleaning supplies are available in any supermarket, you might wish to get creative and make your own cleaning supplies.
Get handy
Tasks like fixing leaky taps, repairing gates, filling cracks and tidying up outside are all good for DIY. You will find a lot of tutorials online to help you get the job done the right way.
You could also take on a painting project and use your time at home to paint a bedroom or space in your home that needs freshening up. Again, track down some tips and stick to them. Painting can be harder than it looks and the bulk of the work is in the preparation.
Find a project
You might also wish to upcycle some furniture, repurpose space in your home as a study, build some basic shelves in the garage or get to work on an outdoor playhouse now you have the time.
Take each project step by step and try not to rush. If you have older children, try involving them with less challenging parts so they can join your sense of achievement. Some projects kids might enjoy include sanding and repainting furniture, making a mosaic from old broken tiles or helping to sew new curtains.
Another project you will be pleased you got your teeth into is finding your favourite photos, printing them and creating a wall display. Again, this can be a fun one to work on with children.
If you’re really creative (and a little brave), you could work on a mural to add some personality to one of your walls. Use light colours so it can be painted over when the time comes.
One thing to keep in mind when planning projects is the impact they will have on the value of your home. If you’re considering listing your property for sale (or rent) this year, focus on deep cleaning, repairs and cosmetic upgrades so your property looks its best when the agent, photographer and buyers come through.
