The warm summer months are on their way. Now is the time to prepare your home, so that you can spend your time off in the summer soaking up the sun and not cleaning or carrying out DIY projects. Here are just a few preparations you should be making.

Have a spring clean

Nothing is stopping you from having a spring clean at any time of the year. Households traditionally chose Spring as it was the best time to clean up dust before the invention of the vacuum cleaner. It would also be warm enough to open windows, but cool enough that insects weren’t a problem.

To this day, Spring still remains a sensible time to clean the house. Christmas can create a lot of clutter which may need to be thrown out, sold or donated. You’re also likely to have fewer guests during this period and more rainy days when you’re likely to want to stay indoors.

Lighten up your furnishings

It’s worth preparing your home for the heat of summer. Those thick winter curtains that kept you cosy over Christmas may need to be taken down to stop you from frying in summer. Shop around for gorgeous ready-made curtains that are thinner and brighter in preparation for the sunny weather.

You may also want to buy a new blanket or a summer duvet for your bed. This could be useful for those hot summer nights when you still want something covering you but can’t handle a regular duvet.

Get your garden groomed 

Spring is the perfect time to start any big garden projects. These include building a pond or laying a patio. Completing them before summer gives you more time to enjoy them when the hot weather arrives. If you’re hiring a handyman to do these projects, you may also have more of a chance of finding someone in the Spring than in the Summer when many gardeners and landscapers get heavily booked. Rates may also be cheaper.

Spring may also be a good time to do any maintenance work. Stormy weather during winter may have destroyed fence panels or damaged plants. If you’ve got a pond, you may also want to clear this out before summer arrives. This is not a fun job and may require putting fish in buckets and draining the whole pond if weeds have got out of control.

You should also start buying all that garden furniture now before the demand increases and prices shoot up. You can usually get good deals on barbecues before summer hits. Also, consider any garden furniture you may want that you needed last year. If sitting outside at night was too cold last summer, a patio heater or chiminea might be worth investing in. If the garden gets too dark in the evening, consider buying garden lights. Solar lights might be a good option as they are cordless and won’t add to your electricity bill.

As for general gardening, this is a good time to sow the seeds for any new plants you hope to grow in time for summer bloom. If you’ve considered growing a vegetable patch, Spring is when soil is generally easiest to mulch up and when most vegetables are perfect for planting.

Give the front of your home a facelift

 The front of your home may also be looking a little shabby after winter. Make Spring the season to give it a facelift. This could be investing in a new driveway or path using Readymix Concrete Not only will it instantly improve the appearance of your home, but it's also a practical solution that will last for years to come. Plus, you won't have to constantly worry about repairs or maintenance.

If you’ve got a front lawn that suffered through last summer’s heat and became patchy, you may want to buy a sprinkler for it. You can find all kinds of sprinkler systems online that can use minimal water, allowing you to save money on your water bill.

Security

You may also want to up your security for summer. This is when most people are on holiday and out of the house, and so is a popular season for burglars to make their move. Motion-sensitive lighting on the outside of your home can be great for deterring thieves. It also has the dual use of allowing you to see your keys in the dark. You can buy solar-powered motion-sensitive lights so that you’re not using up extra energy. Make sure that all your windows also lock and that door hinges aren’t loose.