Winter signals the arrival of the colder months of the year, when we long to recline inside our homes, cosy and warm. It is the time of year when you spend more time at home, which means you have more opportunities to tackle the jobs that you have intended to do without the distraction of the beautiful weather. Not sure what to do? Here are three home and garden improvements that you can make:
- The Bathroom
During winter you are more inclined to keep the windows shut. This makes sense, after all, you have the heating on, however, this increase in heat and reduced air circulation is the prime time for moulds to develop and for your bathroom to suffer. What started as a small spot of mould can quickly escalate into a prevalent problem. Not only do bathroom moulds look unsightly, but they can impact on your health at a time of year when your immune system is low and coughs and colds are more prevalent.
Use an old toothbrush or a wire brush to really clean the tiles and grout in your bathroom. You will be able to see if you need to reseal the bath or reapply some grout too. Taking minor maintenance steps now can save you a lot of time and money by helping you to avoid leaks.
- The Garden
Just because its winter does not mean that you cannot improve the garden! While summer is still in your memory, you will be able to revisit those hazy summer days and recall what you mentally noted to improve on. Perhaps you noticed a gap in your floral display and need to add more borders, or you would like to add a relaxing water feature to add more interest to your garden, now is the time to prepare the space. Check out www.water-garden.co.uk for inspiring water features. The benefit of doing this now is that the freezing temperatures naturally rejects the stones in the soil so that by the time spring comes for installation, you have less digging!
- The Basement
If your basement needs attention, winter is the ideal time to work in it. Nobody wants to work in a dark space during the summer. Use this time to sort out through the possessions that you have stored in your basement; if you have not used it in a year, the chances are high that you will never ever use it.
Once you have reduced the amount that you store in your basement, you may even be inspired to remodel it into a more usableand valuable space. Your basement can become a bonus room that you want to spend time in.
Traditionally winter is the time for hibernation. However, that does not mean that you cannot be active in making your home and garden a better environment for the long term. Looking after and maintaining your home and garden is a year-round necessity and commitment, so take advantage of the winter to make improvements. When the days start to get longer and warmer, you will be pleased with the extra toil that you put in over winter.
