5 Spring tips to make your Canberra home shine.

Whether you’re thinking of selling your Tuggeranong home this Spring or just want to freshen it up for when the warmer months arrive, these tips focus on five important, but often neglected, areas of your home.

Entrances

Entrances are the gateway to your Tuggeranong home and give guests a little glimpse into who you are. Your homes entrance should be clean, decluttered and inviting, so be disciplined and keep the things you need out of sight.

Check that the doorbell and entry lights work and if they don’t, fix them. Wash down your front door, and if it has windows wash them inside and out. Your windows also create an opportunity for you to create a vignette – pop some fresh flowers in a vase on your hall table. If you have plants make sure they’re healthy and if they aren’t consider some spring planting – splashes of colour and beautiful scents at a front door are very inviting. Finally, at the end of long, cold Canberra winter, consider updating your front door mat.

Flooring

Clean floors not only make a house look and feel fresh, they’re also important for the good health of the people living there. Grime often builds up around the entrances to your home, so start with cleaning around them.

Dirt that builds up in carpet fibres, grouting and floorboard ridges ends up going everywhere if left for too long, so all floor types benefit from a regular vacuum. For tile, wood and vinyl floors cleaning with a damp mop generally makes them shine.

If some of your high-traffic areas have hard-to-clean stains you may need to call in the professionals.

Ceilings, walls and skirting boards, windows and window sills

These areas are often forgotten in a spring clean but with a little attention they can make a huge impact on the overall feel of your home.

Always start at the top and work down. Remove dust from ceiling fans, air conditioners, and light fittings with a vacuum then a damp cloth. Walls may not look as if they need a clean but you’d be surprised at what clings to vertical surfaces. Use some sugar soap and clean in sections. A sponge mop will help you reach the higher spots, and once you’re done dry the walls and woodwork with a clean cloth.

Clean windows let in more light, making rooms look brighter and bigger, and they always improve the view.

4. Garages

Cleaning out the garage is like any other room in the house – you have to decide what to keep and what to throw away. If you have toxic chemicals in there (paint removers, pesticides etc.) you’ll need to investigate the appropriate place in your area for their disposal.

As for the rest of your garage ‘stuff’ here are some ‘to keep or not to keep’ rules:
• if you can’t remember what it is or what it does, it goes
• if you haven’t used it for more than five years, it goes
• if it’s something that was replaced two generations ago, it goes
• if its category is “miscellaneous,” it goes
• if it has sentimental value and is easily stored, it can stay

The real secret to a clean garage is to not clutter it up in the first place.

5. Gardens

Spring is a great time to get back into your garden and one of the best jobs you can do right now is get rid of the weeds, before they become unmanageable. Other simple improvements are:
• plant a veggie patch with summer salad favourites like tomatoes, snowpeas, chillis and lettuce
• establish new garden beds with flowering spring annuals for a quick lift
• trim hedges and edge your footpaths
• clean outdoor furniture and sitting areas, scrub the BBQ and refill the gas bottle, in anticipation of summer entertaining.

Once you’ve actioned these tips you’ll have a happy, healthy Canberra home that everyone enjoys!