Mid-Pandemic Home Refresh Ideas

This post is a guest post that has been kindly written by the lovely Gabriel. Gabriel has a blog on all things home improvement, education, health and wellness, and travel, which you can view here. Today, Gabriel has created a post on all things home improvement, which I think is something we all realised our homes needed whilst we were all stuck at home during the pandemic.

The ongoing pandemic has seen many people spend more time at home and more effort on household activities. That's why refreshing the home is such a relevant topic these days. If you're curious about some ways to spruce up your living space, the following ideas are good starting points.

Prioritise Value Boosters

While you're refreshing your home, don't forget that you can target methods that may increase its value. This is especially important if you foresee a sale in the future. While you may need professional help for certain projects, it can also be possible to tackle some on your own. For instance, bathroom upgrades and paint jobs appear on U.S. News & World Report's list of value-boosting DIY projects. For your records, be sure to take photos before and after any projects are done and keep receipts for all expenditures.

Upgrade the Lights

Upgrading the lights in your home is a cost-effective way to liven things up. If you're looking for lighting ideas, consider using dimmers and layered sources to give your spaces versatility and balance. Also, keep in mind that swapping in energy-efficient bulbs can help keep your utility bills down.

Declutter

Clutter is more than just an eyesore; it also increases stress levels, so while you're refreshing your home, try to make decluttering part of your approach. For instance, kitchens are often a major culprit when it comes to clutter. Anti-clutter steps for your kitchen include getting rid of excess tableware and moving on from unneeded or broken appliances.

Meanwhile, if excess paper is an issue in your home, then digitisation tools can help by transferring receipts, notes, and other documents to your computer, allowing you to store or throw away the originals. Better yet, a PDF merging tool can let you store many documents in one file, meaning you won't have to pick through multiple files to find what you're looking for. These tools can also let you reorder the PDF pages to keep records in the proper order.

Prepare Your Fireplace

When it comes to unwinding, relaxing by the fireplace is tough to beat, but fireplaces do require some upkeep to operate safely and effectively. Regular inspections and chimney sweeps are important. Inspections uncover problems like smoke leaks, strange odours, and structural issues, while a sweep takes care of accumulated debris, soot, and blockages. Depending on the extent of the services, chimney sweeping usually ranges from $100 to $300, but it's well worth it to get your fireplace safely in operation.

Bring In the Plants

Houseplants have a lot to offer. They look nice, and they can boost the air quality in your home. If you're new to keeping plants, try choosing some easy-to-maintain green friends. There are many low-maintenance plant options out there, including snake plants and devil's ivy. Before a purchase, researching the plant's water, light, soil, and current and future space needs can help you buy with confidence.

Enjoy Your Refreshed Home

From getting your fireplace ready to go to reducing clutter - and therefore, stress - around your home, there are many paths you can take toward improving your living space. After a bit of work, you'll reap the rewards of a refreshed home.

Once again I would like to thank Gabriel for taking the time to write this post for my blog. If you're interested in writing a post for my blog, just head to the contacts tab where you can find all the information on how to make that a possibility.

Have you been inspired to give your home a little refresh after reading this post?

Love Beth xx