10 Ways to Get Your Home Ready for Summer

 Summer is here at long last! The sun is shining (most days – this is the UK after all) and all everyone wants to do is be outside. That’s no reasons to neglect what’s inside though – here are my top ten tips to get your home and your garden fit for summer...

Image via Pink Dispatcher

1.       Clean your Windows

Nothing opens up a space like natural sunlight, so when it’s bright outside you want to make the most of that by letting the light flood into the room. You can fling those curtains open and roll up those blinds, but if you have a grimy layer of dirt on your windows it won’t help much.

Get a window spray or a bucket of hot water and vinegar (it stops streaks) and give them a good clean, inside and out, upstairs and downstairs!

2.       Invest in a Ceiling Fan

Come July, you’ll be craving a little bit of cool air! Air conditioning is expensive to install and to run, so opt for the cheaper (and also more eco-friendly) option of a ceiling fan instead.

Set the fan to run anti-clockwise, which will mix the hot air at the top of the room with the cooler air below and even out the room temperature.

Image via Janey Henning

3.       Deck Out Your Deck

If you have a deck or a patio, now is the perfect time to kit it out ready for those warm summer evenings when you’ll want to dine outdoors.

Give it a good wash, including hosing down any patio furniture you may have, bring out your outdoor cushions and add some pot plants to liven things up.

4.       Mow the Lawn

Whether you’ll be hosting barbecues, letting your kids run wild outdoors or simply admiring the view through a window, a neatly trimmed lawn is always best.

Now that it’s warm outside, take advantage of the sunshine and mow the grass – you can wear short sleeves to work on your tan at the same time!

5.       Check Your Roof

The harsh winter weather can wreak havoc with your roof so every summer it’s a good idea to go up there (or hire an expert if you don’t know how to use a ladder safely) and check for damage such as cracks, which may start to cause leaks next winter if not repaired now.

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6.       Clear Out the Garage

Summer is the time when DIY makes its grand reappearance – the warm summer air inspires you to whip out your old workbench and tools and do those jobs you’ve been meaning to do all summer.

So get your garage in work-ready condition by giving it a good spring clean – chuck out the piles of old junk you were saving for you-can’t-remember-what, clean out the cobwebs from the corners and you’re good to go!

7.       Check Outdoor Utilities

There’s nothing worse than planning a BBQ only to find out the morning before that your outdoor sockets are faulty and your music player isn’t going to work.

Test your exterior plug sockets and check your hosepipe for leaks too – you’ll need it in good working order to water the lawn and fill up the kids’ paddling pool very soon!

Image via BrnLng

8.       Give Your Fridge Some TLC

Your fridge has coils that keep it cool inside thanks to the air that circulates over them and takes the heat away. Unfortunately, the fan that blows this air over them also blows dust too, so every now and then they’ll need cleaning to ensure they’re still working to full capacity.

Unplug your fridge, check the manual to find out how to remove the grate and give the coils a good clean with a vacuum cleaner, to suck the dust away. Now you can be sure you’ll have cold drinks and ice on tap all summer long!

9.       Freshen the Guest Room

If you have a guest room, chances are it hasn’t been occupied since Christmas, but you’ll likely have lots of guests over the summer months.

Open windows and cupboard doors to air the room and get rid of any musty smell that may have built up, and give the bed sheets a wash so they’re nice and fresh for your first visitor.

Image via Gustaffo89

10.   Keep the Bugs Out

Now you’ve got your home summer ready, you want to be able to enjoy it – not spend all summer swatting flies! So invest in some citronella candles for use outdoors, or even fly killing equipment to keep those bugs at bay!

Do you have any more tips to get your home and garden set for summer?