Feeling a little flat after the long winter? You can brighten up your home and garden without spending a fortune. The best bit? You don’t need to be an expert handyman or gardener to do it! Here are our top five things that you can do when you are time-rich but cash poor.
Plant bulbs
There are few things more optimistic than spring flowers bobbing their colourful heads in the garden. If you didn’t manage to plant bulbs in the winter, don’t despair; you can buy established flowers and plant them out. This is a great time of year to pick up indoor hyacinth pots – especially as many garden centres and even supermarkets have them on special offer. Enjoy their blooms inside, then plant them out when they have finished flowering; they will return in full colour next year.
Not green fingered? We know that gardening isn’t for everyone – check out our list of rated, reviewed gardeners in your area.
Sort out your wardrobe
Bored of your bobbly jumpers and winter clothes? Maybe it’s time to have a good sort out. Pack up your winter clothes and make space for spring ones. Rediscover old favourites that you haven’t worn since last autumn and throw away the things that haven’t seen the light of day for years. We all have aspirational clothes – ones that we hope to fit into one day, or bought because it was a bargain and MIGHT wear ONE day… Recycle them, upcycle, donate them or bin them – if you haven’t worn them for more than a year, you’re unlikely to wear them again.
Storage problems? Complete your clear out with a wardrobe created to meet your storage needs – get in touch with a local carpenter and let your imagination run wild?
Paint
How often have you looked at the chipped, greying, marked paintwork in your home and added it (again) to your mental to-do list? Now is the time to get it done! It doesn’t have to cost a lot – white ceilings and magnolia walls are a perfect canvas – add some colourful artwork and soft furnishings and you have a stylish, revamped space for as little as the cost of a few tins of paint!
If cutting in isn’t your forte and you’re not a fan of a roller, don’t despair! We can help you to find friendly, reliable painters and decorators near you.
Deep clean
Unless you’re Monica from Friends or you are lucky enough to have a cleaner, it is likely that you have the odd grubby corner (the window sill that you always forget to dust, behind the sofa…). Treat spring as a chance to deep clean your home. Move furniture, scrub your carpets, clean windows and wash curtains and cushion covers. You’ll be able to welcome the warmer days in feeling bright, clean and organised!
Taking care of your home may seem a little daunting, but there are plenty of things that you can do, even if you have limited experience and budget. For more tips, or for help finding a tradesperson that you really can trust, follow Trust A Trader on Facebook or Twitter.