Living in a home for many years can mean that certain elements of maintenance or TLC get forgotten about. Life is busy, and some elements of looking after your home can fall by the wayside as you focus on other things. That doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. Believe it or not, you can still have the charming home that you once moved into all those years ago.
There are people out there who make a living by trying to tell you that sprucing up your living space and having a charming house requires spending loads of money and lots of energy. This isn’t true. You can reinvent your home without it becoming a full-time obsession.
You’re probably reading this wondering exactly how to get that charming home easily. Well, there are a few tips that you can follow to make the process go as smoothly as possible. Here are our top tips for a charming home.
Repair Your Damaged Roof
The roof is often one of the most neglected parts of a house, and it’s easy to see why. It’s out of sight, it’s up high, and it’s just generally easy to miss the little things that can signal any problems with your roof. Most people don’t engage in regular roof repairs, so problems tend to build up over time. Eventually, these problems will reach a breaking point.
There are some common signs that you should look out for to see if you have a problem with your roof. Some of them are easy to spot and some of them require a bit of close inspection. Here are some of the key ones to look out for:
- Granules
- Clogged gutters
- Broken or curled shingles
- General damage
- Missing shingles
- Water damage
- Attic problems
If you encounter any of these problems, then your best course of action is to call out a roofer. They will come along and assess the damage in person. They will then be able to make the correct repairs and get your roof looking as good as new again.
Bring in a New Garage Door
Another overlooked part of the house is the garage door. If you use your cars every day, then your garage door is going to get a lot of use. Over time, many different components of the garage door can suffer from wear and tear and eventually stop working. This is particularly true if you have an automatic or an electric garage door, as dust and debris can clog up the sensors and cause it to stop working. One of the most common repairs for garage doors involves replacing the sensors.
If you don’t do any regular garage door maintenance, then you’ll soon find a host of aesthetic problems will start piling up with the door. With years of use, the door will collect bumps, scrapes, scratches, and dents. These are easily repaired at the time, but if you have an abundance of these surface issues then you’ll have to take a day to get them sorted.
If your garage door is too damaged, then it could be a good idea for you to consider replacing it altogether. Long-term damage or damage in multiple places are good signs that you might be better off getting a new garage door put in. This will make your house look newer and it could also be a great way to modernize the exterior of your home.
New Mulch Will Bring New Life to Your House
You can’t have a beautifully charming house without turning some of your attention to the yard. Your outdoor living space is an integral part of your home, and you need to make sure that you are keeping it looking healthy. But how can you go about doing this? Well, you want to make sure that you are letting your plants flourish as much as they can. This is where smartly using some mulch can come in handy.
If you’ve yet to discover the benefits of mulching, then after you read this article you’ll want to start scheduling some mulch deliveries. Don’t worry if you’re sat there confused and not knowing what mulching is. It’s very simple really, it’s the practice of using organic materials to help the plants in your yard grow bigger, stay healthier, and retain more moisture
Mulch is like a superstar for your yard. It acts as both a fertilizer and a protector for your favorite plants. It will also help your yard look neat, and it will reduce the amount of time that you spend tending to or watering your plants. Mulch will also discourage troublesome weeds from growing and taking over your garden. All in all, mulching will help your yard look more charming, and a charming yard is one step closer to a charming home.
Get Brand New Windows for Curb Appeal
You might hear people say the term ‘curb appeal’ all the time, but what does it mean, and does it matter? Put simply, it’s basically how visually appealing the exterior of your house is. The ‘appeal’ aspect of the term is in relation to the process of selling your house. The theory is that the more you make improvements that boost your curb appeal, the easier time you’ll have selling your house.
Does it make a difference? Well, yes, yes it does. 99% of members of the National Association of Realtors believe that curb appeal is important to any potential buyer of a home.
So, making a few tweaks to the outside of your home can seriously boost its curb appeal and make it a more charming home all around. One of the very best areas to make these improvements is the windows. Most residential windows will tend to last about 15–20 years. After that, it’s time to think about changing them. When your windows get old, they start to accumulate damage, lose their thermal properties, and can even lead to leaks and water damage inside your home.
If your windows are already leaking and causing water damage, then you’ll to consult some waterproofing companies and get one of them out to try and seal the cracks around your windows that are letting the moisture in. Water-related issues should be dealt with as quickly as possible, as water damage can cost you a pretty penny to fix.
It can be hard to spot the signs of damage in windows. Of course, if you have obvious problems like a cracked or broken window, then you should contact a window installation contractor straight away who can come out and fix the damage. But what about some of the more sneaky signs of damage?
The main function of your window is to help insulate your house and keep it warm during the winter months. If you notice that it feels drafty around your windows, then it is likely that there is some damage to the surrounding sealant. You should also pay close attention to your energy bills, if they suddenly shoot up, and your HVAC system has to work overtime to heat your house, then it is probably time to call out a contractor to look at your windows.
Make Your Driveway Pop
Sticking with the exterior of your house, when was the last time you paid much attention to the driveway? Driveways take a beating every day when they are in use. Having cars roll over them every day will lead to cracks and potholes starting to appear. If you want a more charming home, then you need to contact a paver who can fill these dents and potholes in. A fresh layer of asphalt will make your driveway look clean, sleek, and new.
Replacing surface-level damage is just the start though. There are so many ways that you can beautify your driveway and make it sing. Driveways don’t just have to be functional, they can be charming and boost your curb appeal too. For example, you could tidy up the borders of the driveway and build some flowerbeds to line the sides of the pavement. You could also think about installing some mood lighting to help your driveway sing during the night.
Replace Your Dirty, Old Gutters
Gutters are another overlooked part of home maintenance, but they cause some serious problems if they are not looked after. Old, dirty, and clogged gutters can prevent rainwater from effectively filtering down into your drain. With nowhere to go, the rainwater will start to overflow from your gutters and cause water damage to any area of the house that it managed to infiltrate.
There are a few ways to prevent this from happening. The first is to make sure that you are regularly cleaning out your gutters. It’s easy for things like leaves, moss, or debris to clog up the gutters and cause an overflow. If you’ve lived in your house for a while, and you’ve never done this though, then you might have to go for a more drastic approach.
Replacing your gutters altogether may seem like an over-the-top approach, but it could also give you a fresh start with your gutters and a chance to move towards having a more charming home. If you’re going to replace your dirty old gutters, then you might also want to think about changing the material that your gutters are made of.
PVC gutters work okay, but aluminum gutters are the superior of the two. For starters, aluminum is more durable, and, as such, your gutters will be able to last longer and look better even during adverse weather conditions. If you replace your PVC gutters with aluminum, you can be assured that you won’t need to replace them again any time soon. There is also the fact that aluminum gutters are better value for money. They may be a more significant outlay at first, but the amount of time they will last before they need any repairing or replacing will make them worth the initial investment.
Do the Little Things Right
If you want to have a charming house, then you are going to have to focus on multiple things at once. It’s not just about making the major changes that you know your home needs. Perfection is lots of little things done properly, so you need to make sure that you’re keeping on top of the maintenance that your home needs all year round.
Don’t neglect small jobs like keeping the skirting boards or window sills in good order. Make sure that you’re tending to your flowerbeds every week during summer to keep them looking happy and healthy. If you’re not much of a DIY expert, you don’t need to worry. For every single part of your house that needs any repairs or sprucing up, you’ll be able to find a company to do the work.
Focusing on doing the little things right will also help to foster a sense of consistency around these chores. You’ll notice that you’ll no longer need to take full days out of your calendar to do home improvement tasks. The earlier you get into the habit of it, the easier it will feel.
These Tips are Just the Start
This article is a great starting guide for you to get the charming home that you’ve always wanted. Pay close attention to the advice given, and you’ll soon start to notice a real difference around the house. You’ll boost your curb appeal, make your house more marketable, and enjoy living in the property more once you take care of these things.
That doesn’t mean the fun has to stop there, though. Take some time to go around your house and assess what you could do about being upcycled. Let your imagination and creativity run free, and you’ll soon find yourself bursting with ideas for ways to spruce up your home and make it stunning.
If you’re stuck for suggestions, you can always reach out to an interior decorator who can help you craft a more cohesive vision for how you want your home to look. The tools are right there at your disposal. Reach out and pick them up and start transforming your home today.
That doesn’t mean the fun has to stop there, though. Take some time to go around your house and assess what you could do about being upcycled. Let your imagination and creativity run free, and you’ll soon find yourself bursting with ideas for ways to spruce up your home and make it stunning.
If you’re stuck for suggestions, you can always reach out to an interior decorator who can help you craft a more cohesive vision for how you want your home to look. The tools are right there at your disposal. Reach out and pick them up and start transforming your home today.
