How City-Dwellers are Upgrading their Homes without Leaving the House

The current COVID-19 crisis has forced most of us to spend much more time in our homes. As challenging as it’s been for so many of us, one positive of stay-at-home orders is they have given people time to move forward on home improvement projects. A common project is an interior upgrade, which can be done without leaving the house.

Here are some home improvement projects you can tackle during Covid, without breaking the bank. Let’s get into it!

1. Refinishing wood furniture

Homeowners are able to refinish old looking wooden furniture and make it look new again with some paint and gel finish. To begin, sand the furniture, then cover it with primer. Once that’s done, you just paint it with at least two coats. This project will take a few days and your color and finishing options will depend on what’s available in your home.

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2. Work from home setup

You may have been asked to work from home due to the pandemic. The good news is, setting up an office area is relatively simple. All you really need is a comfortable chair and a table to set your laptop. You may also want to add some finishing touches like a soft rug for your feet, a coaster for your coffee, or maybe a small potted plant for your desk. The real challenge is staying productive at home.

3. Children’s workspace

Your children may also be required to stay at home. This means they need a workspace of their own — an area where they can engage in online learning and spend some play time as well. First, they’ll need a table and chair appropriate for their size. This area can get cluttered easily so you’ll want to bring in plenty of storage, so at the end of the day you can easily put items away.

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4. A bedroom sanctuary

This pandemic has made everyone more anxious. It can be hard to sleep not knowing what tomorrow will bring or how long the pandemic will last. Staying mentally healthy means caring for yourself. Getting enough sleep is absolutely essential. If you haven’t been getting enough sleep, your old mattress could be contributing to the problem. Thankfully, you can quickly buy a properly sized mattress online and have it delivered.

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5. Deep decluttering

With all your newfound free time, tenants in the city are now able to look closely at their possessions and evaluate what they need, and what they don’t. You can donate unwanted items to places like Goodwill and Salvation Army. One great thing about these charities is you don’t have to go to them; they will pick up your goods for you. Just set up a date, give them your address and they’ll take care of the rest.

Purging your items means more breathing space in your home. No one knows for sure how long the pandemic will last but staying indoors can be more enjoyable without being surrounded by clutter.

6. Rearranging furniture

Sometimes, all you need is a quick furniture rearrangement to transform the way your space looks and feels. After decluttering, you probably have more free space to reorient your furniture. Take advantage of the free time you have and experiment with different layouts until you find one you’re satisfied with.

7. Bringing The Outdoors In

For those who love a Sunday hike, or getting away to a camp in the middle of nowhere, why not bring nature into your home? Small things, a few flowers from the porch, a twig or two for the fireplace mantle, or even some potted plans to brighten your home, can make a huge difference.

While you’re at it, if you have a garden – take time to make sure it’s neat and well-kept. It’s time well spent because gardening stimulates healthy brain activity.

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8. Shop Your Rooms Instead of Amazon

It’s completely normal to want changes in your home. You may feel your furniture is outdated, or your decor is dull. The good news is you don’t need to spend money on Amazon to create new energy in your home.

Look into your other rooms. The nightshade next to your bed, the flowers in the kitchen, these can be tools to add visual interest in other rooms in your home. If you have a room packed with knick-knacks you’ve accumulated over the years, take the time to go through them – and see if you can repurpose some in new ways.

9. Restyle Your Shelves

Sometimes, giving a room a refresh is easier than it sounds. If you love ornaments, and you have shelves packed with them, try this:

Clear out the shelves throughout your home. Take time to dust each one, along with the items on them. From there, get creative, re-arrange the shelves – this will freshen up the room. You may be surprised how much this influences your impression of the house.

Just because you want to bring some flair into your home, doesn’t mean you have to empty your wallet to do it. A small change here, a bit of decluttering there and before you know it – you’ve created a different environment in your space, without spending a dime.

We hope you find this article helpful. If you do, please share it on your Facebook page so others can benefit from it as well. Thanks in advance!