No matter what kind of space you occupy, be it a high-rise apartment, a sprawling house in the country, or something in-between, it is your home. Whether you own it, rent it, or lease it, it’s yours to take care of. Perhaps you view cleaning as a chore and gardening as something better left to others to do, or maybe you wish you could be just like Martha…you know the one. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle, striving for a comfortable existence that’s relatively free from clutter. All of us benefit when our homes look neat and attractive. Here, we’ll share some tips for keeping your house in order – and enjoying the process along every step of the way.
Make Time for Your Home
All too often, work demands us to leave the house first thing in the morning, returning only a few hours before time to go to sleep. We enter an endless cycle, and along the way, our homes gather dust. Clutter accumulates, the roof starts to leak, and black mold starts growing behind boxes stacked in the basement. All this can be easily eliminated by simply taking a little time to take care of our homes; after all, our dwellings are like extensions of ourselves.
To take good care of your home, make time in your schedule to handle various jobs around the house. If it has been some time since you scheduled housekeeping and maintenance tasks, you may need to build some new habits. If your house is a complete shambles right now, there are a few things you can do to transform it. You may get a group of friends or family members together to help you do a deep cleaning and clutter clearing. Perhaps you can hire a team of experts to help you get things under control so you have a clean slate to start with. If neither of these strategies will work for you, start picking away at the mess one drawer and one shelf at a time. You can even set a timer for fifteen or thirty minutes each day and clean until it rings. Keep doing this daily until your living space is tidy. Once you’ve cleaned your entire home and put things where you want them, you’re ready for the next step.
Create Space
Creating space in your home isn’t just about getting rid of things you don’t use or don’t like. When you create space in your home and eliminate clutter, you also create space within your heart and mind. You give yourself the ability to focus on what matters. If you have a surplus of material goods you’re not using, donating them to charity allows someone less fortunate to make good use of them.
Most of us have items that might currently be hiding away in a drawer or collecting dust on a shelf in the garage – things we haven’t really used in over a year. Make these items the first to go. Organizing experts recommend that you get rid of one item for each new item you bring into your home. Doing this prevents clutter from re-accumulating, and it prevents you from spending money buying and maintaining items you really don’t need.
Creating space is also about decorating in a way that appeals to you. It is about expressing yourself, and it’s about making a real residence of your home rather than simply creating a functional space. It is about making your home a place you enjoy, and a place you’re proud to show off to others. Use colors and textures that appeal to you. If you have no idea where to begin, consult an interior designer or simply conduct some research on your own. Expressing creativity within your home can bring you great joy. When you’ve put in the effort required to make your space your own, you’ll feel enthusiastic about caring for what you have.
Create an Appealing Home Exterior
Once you have taken care of the inside of your home, it’s time to spend some time focusing on the way the exterior looks. Remove any accumulated grime, and touch up any chipped paint or faded trim. Whether you have lots of space to work with, or just a little patio where you can grow a few herbs and some flowers in containers, create a landscaping design that appeals to you.
Not only do gardens of all sizes offer visual appeal, they allow you to get out and enjoy interacting with nature. You’ll be more likely to enjoy positive interactions with your neighbors when you spend time outside. No matter what size your garden, you’ll benefit from the exercise you get when you care for your plants each day.
Finally, gardens and patios are ideal spaces for relaxing and entertaining. Imagine having a comfortable space outdoors where you can read, enjoy your daily coffee or cocktails, or just relax. Consider the sense of pride you’ll feel when you’re able to grow at least a little of your own food. These are just a couple of benefits that make gardening a fantastic addition to your routine.
If you’re new to gardening, don’t fuss. Home improvement centers and specialty garden shops offer a wealth of information, sometimes at no cost. In addition, there are many online gardening sites you can use for gathering inspiration and gaining insight into what to grow and how to grow it.
Use a Simple Schedule to Maintain Your Home
Once you’ve created indoor and outdoor spaces that appeal to you, it’s time to go into maintenance mode. The more organized you are, the less time you’ll ultimately have to spend maintaining your home. Expend a little extra effort at the outset, and you’ll get the best possible results.
First, come up with a little list of things that need to be done daily:
- Do dishes
- Wipe countertops
- Clear clutter from tabletops into baskets or drawers
- Handle incoming and outgoing mail
- Pull weeds as they pop up in the garden
- Water plants as necessary and harvest any vegetables that are ready to eat
- Put compost out after meals
Next, make a list of tasks to handle weekly, or every few days, depending on your home’s size:
- Dust furniture
- Clean mirrors
- Vacuum, sweep, and mop floors
- Clean commodes
- Plan meals
- Rake leaves
- Mow grass
- Turn compost
Then, create a list of jobs to do each month. Include seasonal maintenance work:
- Wash windows
- Power-wash concrete driveways, sidewalks, and vinyl siding
- Touch up paint or deck stain if needed
- Do large gardening tasks, such as tilling, mulching, and clearing accumulated debris
- Schedule necessary home inspections
Every home is different, so use the examples above as a starting point and create task lists that will work for you. Creating a schedule for daily, weekly, and monthly tasks does require some effort up front; however, doing this helps prevent you from feeling overwhelmed about caring for your home. It does take several weeks for new habits to form. Be diligent in reminding yourself about daily tasks, just as you would if you were attempting to create healthy eating habits or begin an exercise regimen.
As you might know from experience, failing to take good care of your home can lead to serious problems that cost money and rob you of your time. Just as an unnoticed leak in the roof will ultimately lead to water damage and black mold, daily care and attention will do the exact opposite. With a bit of effort, you can make your home a great place to be – a place you love spending time in, and one you’re proud to share with visitors.