Not heading abroad this summer? Staying home could prove lucrative in more than one way. Thinking about putting your home on the market? Before you throw open the front door to viewings, take a moment to look over our list of six super staycation projects to help add pounds to your property. Enjoy!
Project #1: Front door face lift
Admittedly a substantial project to commit to, but before you skip to point number two, listen to the logic…
Not only is your front door the first part of your home to make an impression on a viewer, it is also the gateway to your home. Opened and closed multiple times in a day, your trusty portal is one of the highest traffic areas of the home.
Summer is the perfect time to spruce up your door. Traditional solid wood front doors can benefit from a quick lick of paint (keep it classic with jet black, classic red, slate blue, emerald green or pure white).
But to add real value to your home this summer, why not fully commit and replace your front door with a sleek contemporary upgrade? Security is of prime importance to all home owners, so why not consider a front door with a smart lock (which can be unlocked and pin changed by you anywhere in the world), smart video and alarm system?
Project #2: Insulation staycation
It’s the last thing you’re thinking about in the heat of summer, but actually, this is the best time of year to insulate under and above your home.
A well-insulated home is a cost-effective home, and if this is a task you’ve been putting off, summer 2021 is the time to get padding. Not only can good insulation save you money on your heating bills, it can also help protect your home against the growth of mould and mildew.
With time on your hands and favourable weather conditions, there’s never been a better time to duck underneath the floorboards and into the rafters to get your home tucked up ready for winter.
Project #3: Summer seating
A real win-win summer project for the staycationer; not only will preparing a premium seating area in your garden provide you with the perfect space to while away the sunny days, it will help house hunters picture their own fun-filled sunny weekends in your garden.
Work with what you’ve got: if you already have a neglected patio or terrace, invest in a re-love project. Pull those weeds up from between the flags, invest in a power washer, re-grout between the slabs.
Keep your eyes peeled for supermarket bargain deals on patio furniture from the likes of Morrisons and Aldi.
If you have a small garden or don’t currently have a dedicated seating area, take stock of where the sun sets in the evening, or where it rises and create a small seating area, just large enough for a bench and side table. A budget way to create a seating area can be by using liner and gravel as opposed to paving slabs. Less technical and costly than laying a stone patio, but just as pretty.
Project #4: Flex your green fingers
Roll up your (green) sleeves, it’s time to get gardening savvy! If you’re going to be staying at home this summer, best make sure you have a beautiful outlook.
Gardening needn’t be a chore, even to the uninitiated. Keep on top of the basics and your garden can become a true selling point of your home.
Lawn care: aim to mow the lawn once a week, keeping the grass height to one inch (cutting it too short can allow moss to enter). Sprinkle a weed and seed mixture ahead of forecast rain to keep your lawn looking lush.
Bedding plants: bedding plants are a great way to add seasonal colour. Pick up a selection of marigolds, begonias, busy lizzies and petunias from your local garden centre or supermarket. Let them ‘harden up’ by placing them outside during the day and bringing them indoors at night for a week before planting. Avoid planting until the end of May/early June to reduce the risk from frosty nights.
Weeding: Summer is the season of growth; unfortunately, this is true for weeds too! Make a daily tour of the borders part of your routine, remembering to take a small bucket or plant pot with you to collect the weeds in.
A nature garden: If gardening really isn’t your thing, there is one easy way to add a splash of colour. Wildflowers are colourful, easy to grow and attract a wealth of wildlife including those all-important pollinators. Simply mark out a patch, sprinkle, water and watch them grow.
Project #5: Summer deep clean
Summer is a great time to deep clean the house. With warmer weather, the family will be spending more time outdoors, leaving the home a haven of quiet calm. Crucially, you can get those ‘big clean’ jobs done without a constant trail of muddy feet coming in and out.
Make the most of the long days and sunshine to take down curtains and drapes and give them a good wash. Hang rugs over the washing line and give them a traditional beating. Hire a carpet cleaner and deep cleanse the carpets throughout the home.
Extricate the dirt from the extractor fans, sand and polish the spindles on the staircase, treat the parquet floor to a polish and repaint the windowsills. Now is the perfect time for a tidy up.
Project #6: Outside lighting
Congratulations on your solid summer of home improvements! Our final tip celebrates the work you’ve completed on Projects 1, 3 and 4.
Create the perfect inviting ambience to your home, guaranteed to pique the interest of any passing potential buyer, by adding the perfect splash of outdoor illumination.
Here are six tips on how to turn your garden into a tasteful Blackpool illuminations:
1. Warm lighting
Avoid cooler white lights; instead opt for warmer landscape lighting.
2. Safety first
If steps feature in your garden or the approach to your front door, lighting can prove a practical safety feature as well as an aesthetic allure. Lighting recessed into a wall by steps or into the steps themselves can help viewers find their feet.
3. Spiked spotlights
Statues or feature trees can be celebrated using spiked spotlights; perfect for guiding the eye to feature planting or uplighting a hedge or wall.
4. Water features
The combination of light and gently rippling water can be magical. Fibre optics within water jets can be mesmeric, while a simple spotlight uplighting a pool can cast the impression of moonlight glow on a mill pond.
5. Dreamy driveways
Make the approach to your home memorable and prestigious by creating an illuminated guard of honour along the driveway. Far classier and much more inviting than the glare of a security light.
6. De-light-ful dining
Embrace social spaces by adding indirect lighting to patio areas. Deck lighting, spotlighting and lower level lighting can help your terrace transition from day into evening and create an engaging environment no guest will ever want to leave.
Get in touch
If you’re considering putting your home on the market this summer and would like a friendly chat over the garden fence about your options, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re staycationing too!
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