How to get off the couch and add value to your home during ISO!

I get it, motivation levels are fading… we’re coming into month 372 of lockdown and I’m over it. I have also completely overhauled my house over the last few months and I’ve never felt better! So come with me on a little journey that will get you off your couch and into action. Because we may as well increase the value of our property with our own two hands while we ain’t got nothin but time!

 

  • Borrow your neighbour’s high-pressure hose and wash down your façade. Particularly if you’re planning to paint, you’re going to need to prep the surface first. While you’re at it you may as well hit up all external paved/decked areas too. You could even go one step further and STEAM that grime away! Have you heard of steam cleaning for your exteriors? We have and it has officially blown our minds! Especially if you have a large deck or concrete area that could use some TLC. Check out the work of Troy from Otway Environmental, he has same some jaw-dropping before and afters over on his Instagram.

    @otway_environmental    www.otwayenvironmental.com.au/

 

  • Paint your front fence and façade, there’s nothing like a good freshen up.

    Preparation is key to a flawless finish. Ensuring your surfaces are clean, dry and sanded is the best way to achieve perfection. Now not all exterior paints are made equal, and if you’re going to go to the trouble to do it (trust me, it’s an undertaking!) you need to do it right. Living in Australia, we know the beating this coat of paint is going to take in our harsh climate. Not only does a coat or two of paint change the look of our home and amp up the street appeal, it also protects the underlying materials from the elements and actually increases the lifespan of the building.

    ‘Taubmans Endure / Sunproof’, ‘Dulux Weathershield’ and ‘British Paints 4 seasons’ are all good options for exteriors.

 

  • Tidy up your front, side and rear gardens, weed, plant, clear, get some stones or black tanbark delivered to freshen up the garden beds and any unpaved walkways. C. Fulton, located in Hawthorn East & Cheltenham are delivering all through Stage 4 and will dump a pile of your chosen material on your nature strip. They’ll also help you calculate how much you will need.  https://www.cfulton.com.au/

    Gardening has legitimately been my ISO saviour and now is the ideal time to plant. It gives your plants an opportunity to establish their root system over the last few weeks of Winter before their big growing season in Spring. Particularly if we want them to stand up to the pressures of our long hot summers, we want them to be semi-established. Now, this is not an area I would suggest skimping, not all growers are the same, and not all advice is good advice! I can’t go past the expertise at Julian Ronchi Garden Design & Nursery in Prahran, she has been my go-to for years. Since we can’t peruse the offerings at our leisure these days, she offers facetime for those who would like to actually see what is on offer. They also offer click and collect through their handy drive-through and delivery for $50.  https://www.julianronchi.com.au/

 

 

  • Deep clean & declutter your interiors. I know you don’t want to… but the satisfaction is real and trust me, you’ll thank me later.

    First things first, coffee. Never deep clean or declutter without a genuine caffeine buzz. Then, pick a cupboard, chest of drawers, built-in robe or cabinet to overhaul. Once you have made your choice, study the contents, you need a plan so you know what you’re going to need to organise it. 

    Now for the fun part, place a huge click and collect order of cute and practical storage solutions. My go-to’s are; Ikea & Kmart (they have literally thought of everything). Pick up your storage solutions and use the unpacking excitement to motivate you further. Pull out every single item in your chosen space and spread them out on the floor. Disinfect and wipe out the drawers/cabinets etc. Now sort all like items and put them in piles, place in your cute storage containers, repeat until all items have a home. Label if you’re so inclined and place everything back into the cupboard. VOILA! 

 

The minute Melbourne opens back up and we can legally have dinner parties and BBQ’s and play dates and wine times and brunch and all the food / kitchen / house related activities…. You’ll be ready.   

 

Until then… get to work!

 

Sam Davenport

Buyers Advocate

Tabitha Robb