Fall in love with your home again this Valentine’s month
February is the month of love, so why not take the time to fall in love with your home all over again?Those who never fell out of love could also use this month as a reminder to show the property some love by seeing to some regular maintenance tasks and updating the spaces that need it the most.
According to Adrian Goslett, Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, homeowners can easily fall out of love with their property when their family outgrows the space or when their lifestyle needs change. In these scenarios, moving to a new property tends to be the best solution.
However, sometimes a homeowner can fall out of love with their property simply because it needs some updating or reorganising. When this happens, Goslett recommends tackling a few small home improvement projects, like painting a room or updating fixtures.
Apart from this, a home can also begin to feel cluttered and disorganised the longer we live in it. “Moving to a larger home does not always help solve the problem of having too little space – it might only provide more rooms to be filled with clutter,” Goslett cautions. Before deciding to move to a bigger home, he suggests first evaluating the use of space available in your current home and considering if there are ways to declutter and make better use of the space.
Small changes
It can also help to introduce some new décor or to rearrange the furniture to give the home a fresh feeling. Keep in mind that falling back in love with your home is a process, and it might take time. “Small, intentional changes can make a significant impact on how homeowners perceive and appreciate their living spaces,” says Goslett.
With this in mind, it can also be useful to include updates to your home that help you do more of the things you love. For example, if you love hosting friends and family, then invest the time and money into refreshing the kitchen and dining room first. If you are an avid reader, then find a cosy spot in the home to create a built-in reading nook.
“If, after doing some updates, a homeowner still wants to sell the home, the updates will at least make the home more sellable and appealing to a broader audience of potential buyers. This should hopefully make it easier to sell so that the homeowner can move on to a new home they will love,” Goslett concludes.