Show your home some love this Valentine’s Day
Even if the mere mention of Valentine’s Day makes you want to throw up in your shoes, one relationship that’s always worth some love is the one you have with your home.
Whether you’re single, loved up, in an ‘it’s complicated’ relationship with your Netflix account or just continuing to live your best life same as any other day, V-day is a chance to show your home how you really feel.
Why you should treat your bae right
Aside from being the thing that separates you from the elements and a place where you spend a lot of your time, studies have shown that having a nice living space massively improves your mental health.
It also pays off in literal terms. If you’re renting, you’re more likely to get your deposit back. If you own, then a nice home is easier to sell.
‘Housework’ may have all the romance of a teaspoon, but as anyone who’s ever been a little spoon can tell you, it’s all about changing your perspective. Showing your home some love doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming – and it’s amazing the impact it can have on your life.
On trend
For example, ‘Hygge’ – the Danish cosiness craze – has been hot for a while. While the shops would have you believe it’s all about spending £4,000 on a luxury mink throw so you can live like a Russian overlord, that’s not the case.
It’s more about making the most of what you’ve got and setting aside some you-time. That could be reading a book, going for a run, watching Murder She Wrote repeats or spending an hour whipping up your favourite meal.
This will all be a lot easier to do if your home is clean and tidy, which brings me nicely on to my second point.
Marie Kondo is celeb queen of decluttering. Her approach is to lay everything out, hold each object in your hands and ask if it brings you joy. If it doesn’t, take it to the charity shop or chuck it. If the ‘joy’ thing is a bit too cheesy, just ask yourself when you last used it.
Love don’t cost a thing
For things that you have to keep but aren’t ‘bringing you joy’, try getting creative. A cheap blanket over a tatty sofa can make a world of difference. Spending an hour organising your space can also make life approx. 4000% easier.
Another free way of seeing your home through new eyes is to rearrange the furniture – can you create more space by turning the sofa or bed the other way, or moving a table?
Sites like Freecycle list absolute bargains in your local area – from 100 coat hangers to full sofa sets – which are totally free.
Humans need sunlight and fresh air to thrive. Look at what happened to Gollum. Throw open the curtains and let in some natural light and fresh air.
Make a splash
If you want to treat yourself to a few new bits, cheap and cheerful touches like flowers, candles or prints from places like IKEA and charity shops can brighten things up.
Plants are proven to reduce stress and boost health. They improve the quality of the air you’re breathing, reduce things like carbon dioxide levels and even muffle noise from busy roads.
You can normally get inexpensive house plants from supermarkets or garden centres but trust me when I say, you want to double check if they’re meant to go inside or outside first.
It’s all about the little things
A deep clean can be really therapeutic, so why not show some love to any bits that you don’t usually get to, like skirting boards or the high shelf no one’s been near since 1964?
If you just don’t have the time or energy for that noise, break things down into manageable chunks and pick one small thing to do each day. Instead of ‘clean entire kitchen’, today’s job could be ‘wipe counter tops’ and tomorrow’s might be ‘de-scale kettle’. Much more manageable.
Oh, and it’s amazing what a cuppa and a pair of comfy socks can do to make a house feel homely.
Get out the big guns
If you’re feeling sprightly, a bit of DIY around the house will make you feel like an absolute boss. Hammer down any screws sticking out, repaint a bit of old furniture, put up a shelf – you’re smashing it.
Put up some pictures of the people and places you love, or have a go at painting some things yourself. I recently did a paint-by-numbers Mona Lisa and I’m way more proud of it than any self-respecting adult should be.
Happy home
Now your home is an oasis of zen, it’s a good time to make sure you’ve got home insurance to protect your pad.
You could also do something nice for someone without a home, like donate to a homelessness charity or volunteer your time, which is another thing proven to reduce loneliness and boost mental health.
Once you’re all set treat yourself to a cosy night in or get some family and friends round to make some memories.
We help our customers show their home some love through repairs and specialist adaptations – find out more on our services page:
