10 Ways to Prep Your Home for a Fruitful Chicago Spring

Breathe in, breathe out. The sun is starting to peak out at least once a week, and we all know what that means. It means Chicago spring is peeking behind the shadows! There’s nothing more enthralling than watching the trees regain life all around the city and seeing the flowers bloom. You can feel Chicagoans reeling with anticipation over the impending gorgeous weather (the tourists will be landing at O’Hare soon). With that being said, one starts to wonder: how can we refresh our spaces to ring in the new season blooming all around us?

1. Refresh Your Fabrics

We can liven up our space by changing out darker colors for lighter, more neutral hues. Bright and bold colors are in, and just in time for spring! It’s time to pack up that winter decor. Switching out linens, pillows, curtains, or even accents at least once a year will make your home feel like new. Think of it in a similar vein as packing away your winter coats and bringing out your favorite pairs of summer shorts.

2. Change Up Your Space

Rearranging even one room in your home always invites positive, new energy! We get so used to the way our spaces are set up, and there is comfort in this familiarity. However, seeing the same setup in your home day after day (especially being trapped inside during quarantine), can become monotonous, stale, and mundane. When was the last time you did a full walk-through of your space? Take a moment and examine each area of your home. Do all your rooms flow well? Are your bookshelves, pantry, and workspaces organized for maximum efficiency? “Marie Kondoing” your space might bring some newfound inspiration.

3. Plants, Plants, & more Plants!

Bringing greenery into your home adds both life and fresh air. As the trees outside our windows sprout new life, bringing the color indoors naturally makes the eye travel toward windows. Adding plants with vertical height will draw the eye upward toward the ceilings of your home. These details will make your space feel more expansive overall. If you are anything like me and you didn’t inherit a green thumb, here is a list of some low-maintenance indoor plants that aren’t so dramatic: snake plants, cacti (and most other succulents), ferns, aloe, pothos, etc. Don’t forget the centerpiece floral arrangement!

4. Add “Springy” Scents

Changing out your candles, diffusers, and room sprays from winter scents (i.e. pumpkin spice, anything coffee or pastry-related, cinnamon, etc.) to a lighter scent (anything fruity, floral, or tropical) will add an inviting flair to your home. A pleasant smell is not only an immediate mood-booster, but it’s also an inexpensive way to add a touch of luxury to your space. One of my favorite scents is Mahogany Teakwood because it’s so rich and earthy.

5. Switch Your Ceiling Fans

If you have ceiling fans in your home, you may not know that most models have a switch that changes the rotation of the air. It is usually a small black switch located on the base of the ceiling fan. In the winter months, your ceiling fan should be rotating clockwise for a warmer space. In the spring, switching the rotation counterclockwise will push air down toward you, making your home cooler (and saving you money on your electric bill). While we’re on the topic of air circulation, if you suffer from spring allergies, investing in an air purifier can be a small price to pay for improving your quality of life.

6. Invest in Outdoor Furniture

Let’s be candid: no one is interested in sitting outside for prolonged periods of time during the Chicago winter unless absolutely necessary. If you are fortunate enough to have outdoor space, now is the time to take full advantage of it. Invest in some quality, comfortable furniture for your patio, deck, or yard for both you and your company to enjoy. Give your friends and family a place to relax and unwind while soaking up some vitamin D! You can bring extra flair to your space by adding some nice ambient lighting or a firepit if you have the room. This is a great option to make your spring and summer nights both scenic and picturesque.

7. Spray for Insects

Now is the perfect time to spray the interior and exterior of your home for those pesky bugs that come out to play in the sun. During the winter smaller bugs usually die off, and only the strong survive. Spraying at the beginning of the season shift will stop these bugs from reproducing and becoming such a headache in the coming months. Hiring a pest control specialist could also be a viable option that will pay off year-round.

8. Boost Curb Appeal

The skies are bright and clear – which means we can see everything! Give your yard some TLC. Go ahead and plant those flowers, put those bags of salt away, pressure wash that exterior, and clean out those gutters. The exterior of your home withstood some harsh weather over the past several months. It deserves a little spring facelift, and your neighbors will surely be grateful for your efforts. Upgrading your exterior (replacing windows, siding, shutters, garage doors, etc.) can give you anywhere between a 70-96% return on investment. That’s a lot of bang for your buck! First impressions, aka curb appeal, are crucial when taking property value into account.

9. Spring Cleaning

The much-dreaded but very necessary step to getting your home ready for the warm weather is spring cleaning. Now is the time to donate those clothes, clean out those cabinets, detail those baseboards, etc. A detail that many often overlook is having outdoor trash bins detailed. Let’s not even think about how germy they might be! Spring cleaning is a crucial step toward not only giving your home the fresh start it deserves but that YOU deserve.

10. Home Projects

If you’ve been in the market for a home remodel, there’s no time like the present. Since it’s much easier to get out of the house during the spring/summer seasons, now is the opportune time to renovate those rooms that you’ve been dying to refresh. Schedule your consultation with us today by contacting us here or by calling us at 773-610-4551. Let us make your dream home a reality!