Whether you’ve just moved into a property that’s looking a little worse for wear, or you’ve been living in the same house for years and let things get a little out of control, there’s usually some point in our lives that we end up taking a look around at the place we’re living in and question how we’re going to get things up to scratch.
When it comes down to it, carrying out extensive work on a property can be a pretty intimidating and overwhelming task. Chances are that getting the job completely complete is going to take a little time. But don’t worry. Here are just a few steps that you can take that will make a major difference!
Cleaning Up the Exterior Walls
First impressions count. So, let’s start with the exterior of your property.
Most people dive straight into interior design, but you need to remember that the face of your home is what you and your guests will see first and foremost. If there’s one aspect of our properties that gets neglected time and time again, it tends to be exterior walls.
Now, we rarely ever consider cleaning the walls of our home. But have you ever stopped to consider just how much dirt is flung at them on a regular basis? Everytime rain falls, dirt from the tiles in our roof and our guttering tends to filter down the face of our house. Each time the wind blows, chances are it carries dust, dirt, and debris onto these walls too. That’s before we consider dirt that happens to be planted on the brickwork or paintwork by mucky hands, balls bouncing off the walls, or other means. Before you know it, you’ll begin to find that your home’s exteriors are looking pretty mucky.
Now, the first step to take against this is Pressure Cleaning. Pressure cleaning is a process that uses powered water and cleaning products to get even the most hardworn stains off hard surfaces. If your walls are brickwork, this process should be enough. However, if your walls are painted, you may then want to invest in some exterior wall paint (this differs pretty drastically from interior wall paint) and hire someone to put a few coats on your home – from top to bottom. Once this has dried, everything will be looking brand new again!
Painting Window Frames and Doors
Paint on window frames and doors is renowned for flaking over time. Don’t stand for this. Sand down any flakey areas and add a coat of specialist paint. High gloss tends to be a hit! Just make sure to be careful when getting close to the walls – you don’t want to slip – and to ensure people know that there is wet paint around until it is completely dry. This will prevent mishaps and smudges.
Cleaning Up Interior Walls
Now, interior walls don’t tend to get quite as dirty as exterior walls, so you can lay off the pressure cleaning here. But you do need to clean the walls thoroughly before you so much as consider getting the paint rollers and paint brushes out.
Start by dusting the walls and skirting boards down. Dust can mount up a lot more than you’d imagine and if it’s still around by the time you get to painting, you’ll find it sticks in the paint is a nightmare to deal with. So, dust and make sure any build up is either hoovered up or scooped up with dustpan and brush.
Next, wash down the walls with a combination of hot water and diluted washing up liquid. Once they’ve dried, they’ll be ready for a fresh lick of paint.
Varnishing
Varnish any wood in your property. Adding a coat of varnish can brighten up dull wood and can add a new shine! Skirting boards, bannisters, mantelpieces… you name it, it can be varnished. You can even varnish hardwood floors if you have these in your home.
Just make sure to test any varnish that you purchase in a discreet area of whatever it may be that you’re painting. Allow the test area to dry. This will allow you to determine whether you are happy with the colour or not before going ahead with everything!
Reflooring
If your property has run down carpet, you’re not really going to be able to bring it back to life. Sure, you might be able to use a professional carpet cleaning machine to lift dirt and brighten colours. But if the carpet is downtrodden and parts are worn away, you’re pretty much out of luck. This situation calls for reflooring. So, treat yourself and pick out a new carpet. Choose hardwearing and darker coloured options for high traffic areas. For lower traffic areas, you can opt for fluffier, lighter piles.
Upholstering Furniture
If your furniture is looking a little worse for wear, you don’t necessarily have to throw it out and replace it. You could always consider upholstering it instead!
Let’s focus on upholstering seats and chairs for now, as this is the most common form of upholstery. When upholstering seats, you may provide them with new or extra padding, springs, webbing, fabric, or covers. You can stick with the furniture’s original look and simply add new fabrics in similar textures and colours to just vamp things up a bit, or you could go all out and completely change the appearance of the pieces you already have. Generally speaking, it’s best to collaborate with professional upholsterers to get the look and final results you’re aiming for.
These, of course, are just a few different tasks that you might want to consider carrying out on your home that really will make all of the difference when it comes to sprucing things up a little – whether you’ve just moved in or have been at home for years. They may sound simple, but once they’ve been completed, they will be extremely noticeable. Everything will begin to pull together and your property will be something to be proud of before you know it!