When you often find a home away from home, your actual dwelling may degrade, and you wouldn’t even notice. A house needs someone to call it home, after all. So when it stays empty for long periods, nature reclaims its exteriors, and dust starts to gather in the interior surfaces.
The home’s design may get outdated fast, too. Of course, not all travelers are clueless about home design trends, but it makes sense to assume that it’s not their priority. While a trendy home design won’t affect the quality of your life, it will matter if you plan to resell your home. An outdated abode won’t be attractive in the market, wasting your chances of earning high profits and using them for more travel.
To avoid that mishap, here are some ways to keep your home updated even if you’re frequently away:
1. Fill Your Front Yard With More Flowers
A garden full of blooms can make your entire home look lively. An excellent hack to save on gardening costs is dividing your perennials every three to six years. That will thin out clump-forming varieties, like daylilies, which bloom from late spring to late summer. Dividing your perennials also lets you control plant size, encourage growth, and multiply the specimens in your garden without spending a dime.
2. Revive Your Rarely Used Deck
If you rarely use your deck, chances you’re behind its upkeep, too. Restore its beauty by power-washing and scrubbing the floors until it looks new again. Then apply a semitransparent coat stain to protect it against the elements. Do the same for any wooden furniture in the area, and repaint them if you want to.
3. Keep the Windows Clean and Clear
Dusty windows are a dead giveaway that you’re often away from home. For security purposes, keep your windows clean, clear, and, most importantly, locked.
When you clean your windows, streaks shouldn’t be left on the glass afterward. Choose a dry, cloudy day for the task; it’s a hack to avoiding streaks. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, start on the shaded parts of your home. And before wiping, remove the dust and dirt first with a brush or vacuum. When you’re ready to wipe down the glass, apply a generous amount of window cleaner, then use a microfiber cloth—not a squeegee—to remove the product. Squeegees aren’t bad; they just drip the water down to the floor, giving you an extra chore.
4. Conceal Outdated Window Designs
If you live in an old home, the design on the windows is probably dated. Getting new windows isn’t a budget-friendly option or a good investment if you don’t see your house often anyway. So just conceal the dated design with some exterior shutters.
You can choose among four types: raised panel, louvered, board and batten, and Bahama (a.k.a. Bermuda). Most of these shutters have a country look, but they’d fit contemporary home designs, too. Your safest option is raised panels, as they’re designed like kitchen cabinets. They fit most styles of homes, including period homes.
Louvered is a good choice if you prefer a more casual or classical look, though they also fit ornately styled homes. Board and batten look best on rustic homes, while Bahama is perfect for coastal or tropical homes.
5. Use Low-maintenance Interior Window Treatments
Complete your windows’ design and security update by using low-maintenance window treatments. Modern roller shades window treatments are highly recommended, as they filter out the sunlight and provide adequate privacy. It’s also easy to clean; just dust them off regularly and run a vacuum cleaner along with it once a month or so.
Bonus Tip: Start Putting Out Holiday Decorations
If you’re going to be away on the holidays, don’t let your home feel your absence. Put out your holiday decorations now so that your abode won’t look lonely and out-of-place while the rest of the neighborhood celebrates in full swing. Hang wreaths on your windows and one on the front door. Adorn the beams or eaves with garlands. Install some fairy lights, too, making sure someone will turn them on and off at designated times.
If Christmas is the one time you’ll stay at home, make the most out of it by going extravagant in your interior decorations. Of course, do it only if you have time. But if this Christmas is the last one we’ll celebrate with a pandemic, go over the top. Adorn your banisters, mantels, kitchen countertops, and all the bedrooms. Let it be a Christmas to remember for a lifetime.
Final Thoughts
Your life of travel can make home maintenance feel like a burden, but with these simple and budget-friendly home improvement tips, you’ll appreciate your abode again. After all, it will always be the safest place that will welcome you back after your adventures.
