“Stay at Home” Improvement Projects

Last week, Governor Doug Ducey ordered all non-essential workers in Arizona to “Stay at Home” until 4/30/2020. While many people (like us) are still working from home, lots of people find themselves with extra time on their hands. With no sports to watch, no kids activities to attend and no where to go, we suggest taking advantage of this time period and catching up on some of those household projects you have put off in the past. Here is a quick list of easy projects that we think will bring the most value to your home. We also think they will give you a great sense of accomplishment as well!

Clean out closets (and drawers and cabinets as well): This is the easiest place to start, because you can start small if you want. Not much time? Pick one drawer to organize. Have a little more time, maybe choose a cabinet (I know my Tupperware cabinet could use some love!). We suggest removing all of the contents of the drawer or cabinet, getting rid of things that have expired or are of no use to you and only placing back the things you know you will use. If you are looking for a bigger chore, you might choose a closet in your home. Make sure items are clean and then bag them up to be donated once COVID-19 is over.

Deep Clean: Typically we are all pretty good at cleaning high traffic areas such as floors and countertops, but now would be a good time to go a little bit deeper! Think of this as Spring Cleaning on steroids! Move that furniture and clean underneath it. Scrub those hard to reach areas in your bathrooms and kitchens. Take some time to wipe down your ceiling fans, the tops of your cabinets, and both the top and bottom of your refrigerator.

Paint: Are there areas in your home that could use a little color (or a little less color) or maybe just a fresh touch? Painting is an easy way to improve your home without having to hire a professional. There are several areas of your home that you could choose to paint while you are stuck at home: 1. Walls – Choose the rooms that you can manage yourself. 2. Your front door. 3.Your cabinets.

All of these projects can be completed easily if you are willing to put in a little time and hard work! Be sure to use low or no VOC paint on walls if you are going to be spending a lot of time in the room you are painting. As for cabinet, there are kits available that will walk you through the process step by step. If you choose a project like this, however, be sure to work on the cabinet doors in a well-ventilated area.

Landscaping: The easiest place to start is just a quick clean up of your yard. You could opt to do things such as glean citrus, trim bushes or rake rocks. If you want to embark on a more long-term project, now would be a great time to plant a garden with veggies, herbs or flowers. You can order seeds online via Amazon or other vendors. To support food shortages during WWII, many of our ancestors planted “Victory Gardens”. You could plant your own “Victory Garden” to help feed your family during this pandemic and help the environment at the same time!

The Garage: We couldn’t really ask for better weather in the Phoenix Metro area than we are having right now! This helps make it the perfect time to organize your garage. You can order shelving and other organizational supplies from companies like The Container Store to help you wrangle those tools and sporting goods that may have been thrown around haphazardly in the past. Once things have been moved, a good sweep and possibly floor cleaning like mopping (if your garage floor is covered in epoxy) could help finish off the job.

Update bathroom and/or kitchen hardware: Sick of those old fixtures? Replace them with something more modern! This is the perfect time to do small improvements around your home. Adding pulls to kitchen cabinets and drawers or replacing bathroom hardware might seem like small changes, but they can make a big difference!

Luckily, many home improvement stores like Dunn Edwards, Ace Hardware, Lowe’s and Home Depot are still open at this time. Many of these stores will allow you to order online and pick up curbside. Be sure to wear a mask when you go out. If you must shop in the store, be sure to take a paper list instead of your phone. This way, you can throw the list away when you are done. We want to make sure you stay as healthy as possible!

Real Estate is considered an “Essential Service” in Arizona under the umbrella of Professional Services. We are still helping people buy and sell properties daily. If you want more ideas about things you can do to improve the value of your home or if you just want to chat, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Calls us or email us at info@azarchitecture.com. We are here for you!