June 4th, 2020 by Amy Varley

With lockdown lasting much longer than any of us could have anticipated, it’s been the perfect time to do any of those jobs around the home and garden that we’ve been putting off!

Garden

Preparing your garden for the summer months has been a priority for a lot of people, especially seeing as we’ve had some brilliant weather recently - there’s been no excuse not to get out doing some jobs in the garden!

Patio

Our patios and decking areas take a beating with our rubbish British winters, with dirt and debris building up and often an abundance of green mould appearing! Pressure washing your patio and/or decking is a great way to clean it off and remove any stubborn stains or marks. Our Pro-Kleen Power Washer is powerful enough to handle any tough jobs, including fences and garden walls, so your whole garden will be looking brand new once you’ve finished cleaning it!

It’s been a popular lockdown trend to paint your patio using stencils and masonry paint, so once you’ve cleaned it off with a pressure wash, why not try it and give your patio a whole new look!

Pro-Kleen Pressure Washer

Price: £89.99

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Planting

Planting new bedding plants is an easy and relatively cheap way to brighten up your garden. Picking low maintenance hardy plants, such as pansies that will return year on year are perfect for those of us who like to have a colourful garden without too much hard work, or if you are a keen gardener you could try planting and growing some climbing roses or even building a rockery for your new plants!

Painting in the Garden

Painting your garden fence and/or decking can help freshen up the look of your garden, with grey and pale blue being very popular colour choices this year – of course If you like to buck the trend you could always try a different colour, purple, pink or black, or whatever takes your fancy! If you have a brick outbuilding this too could be painted a pale colour to give the illusion your garden is larger and it will also brighten up the area and make it look cleaner.

To really make the most of lockdown in your garden, you could make a list of any niggling jobs you need to do, you know, the really mundane ones – such as patching up that little hole in the fence or fixing the garden gate that sticks. Making a list and being able to cross things off once they are done will make you feel a lot better about doing them, and doing them now will allow you to enjoy your garden in summer without that niggling thought at the back of your mind that you still have little jobs to do!

Home

Doing jobs inside the house is a great way to make you feel good at home! We may spend a lot of time in our gardens during the warmer months and in good weather, but let’s be honest – the majority of our time spent at home is done indoors! Here are some jobs you can do inside the house to keep you busy during lockdown.

Decorating

Decorating is a great way to make the most of your time. Many of us have rooms or even whole houses that need redecorating, but we often put this off due to not having the time. Lockdown has given us the time! Creating a feature wall in your living room, a gallery wall in the hallway or painting your kitchen cupboards is a great way to brighten up your home and give it a new look.

Organising Kitchen Cupboards

One of this year’s popular trends is finding ways to organise our kitchen cupboards, with many celebrities sharing their top tips on social media. From Stacey Solomon hanging up crisp packets to keep her cupboards looking tidy to Mrs Hinch labelling all of her storage boxes for easy identification – there is bound to be something you will find useful in keeping your kitchen cupboards organised. Many of the bargain stores now sell stylish sets of readily labelled containers for your kitchen, so you can keep organised and your kitchen still looks modern and sleek!

Clean your attic

I’m sure the majority of us are guilty of this – neglecting our loft space. The extra time we have means there is now no excuse to get up there and have a look around. Have a clear out of boxes and junk you have stored up there and give it a good clean up. It's important to check for any sign of rodents as this might be something you need to address before you start moving things around up there! Check for any signs of burrowing holes in insulation, chewed wires or wood, or the obvious little droppings – sure-fire signs you may have some furry friends sharing your home! Once you’ve cleaned your attic you can use it as storage for those things you want to keep but don’t have an immediate use for around the home.

Fixings

There are many things in our homes that we ‘live with’ but could really do with a little attention – think tiny things – creaky doors, floorboards, loose cupboard handles or hinges. Easy fixes that we just never seem to get around to sorting. Lockdown is the perfect time to go around the house with your toolbox and just get them done! These little things won’t take even half as long as you imagine, and you’ll feel so much better when you can open a door at night without waking the rest of the house up, or opening a drawer without the risk that the handle will fall off in your hand!

Lockdown has been, and is a trying time for us all – however using the extra time we have wisely will make you feel happier and can improve your mental health, don’t look back and think about all the home improvements you could have made, do them now while you have time and you will be able to enjoy your home and garden for the foreseeable!