BY JANIE MAHON

We all feel this way about our homes, whether it’s your first apartment or your dream home there is nothing like coming “home” after a long day. Lately we’ve been confined to the walls of our homes more often than any of us ever imagined and while we are all hoping this will be over sooner rather than later, here are a few tips to make those all too familiar spaces feel a bit renewed and refreshed for spring that hardly cost a thing!

~CLEAN! That’s right good ol’fashioned spring cleaning. We’ve got nothing but time on our hands and that dust on top of the ceiling fan you noticed at Christmas when you were taking down the lights might just still be there. If you are one that has used this time wisely and cleaned everything 27 times over with bleach, good for you! Basically, who doesn’t like a clean, organized space? It makes hanging out at home that much more enjoyable and it is more important than ever to maintain a healthy, sanitized environment.

~  REDECORATE! Now that your space is all clean and shiny, take a look around. Did you find some old pictures while you were cleaning that need frames? They could make a great memory wall or look fabulous showcased going up the staircase. Often times, just rearranging your artwork and furniture can bring a fresh new look to your home.   
     
 ~LIFE AND SHINE! It is important to incorporate some kind of “life” such as plants or fresh flowers and “shine” being a decorative glass bowl or a brass lamp for example into your environment. These two design elements finish any room nicely and the fresh plants or flowers bring a bit of the outdoors in which is always welcoming especially when we can’t go outside as often as we used to.

  ~ WORKSPACE! Now that most of us are all confined to working from home, it is important to try to keep that space separated from your every day living space. It will also be easier to stay motivated while working when you have a designated space to go to. If you have a home office great, if not, try to create a separate atmosphere from the rest of the house. You will be a lot more productive than if you plop down on the sofa in front of the TV to get your work done. Keeping a separate space also allows you to “turn it off” when you are done so you can have the balance that is sometimes hard to keep when working from home.

 ~ GET OUTSIDE! Your yard space is equally important. This is the season of outdoor grilling, gardening, and sunshine! Sprucing up your patio or deck is another great, inexpensive way to bring that summer feeling here now! We don’t get many months to enjoy the outdoors here in the PNW so stain that deck, pressure wash the patio or plant a few flowers because in just a few short months the rain will be back and we will be wishing we could have that project to do. Plus, there is nothing like first impressions and in Real estate curb appeal is everything!

Our homes have never been more important than now. Please enjoy or share some of these tips to make yours a bit brighter. If you are feeling like you need more space after all of this or maybe even less, the real estate market is still moving at a record pace. Whatever category you fit into, we are happy and eager to virtually help, just give us a call!