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Your Home Maintenance Checklist to Get Your Home Ready for the New Year

If you’re a homeowner, you might already be eyeing the favorable marketing conditions facing sellers in the real estate industry. Recently, home prices have skyrocketed, and top real estate agents only expect these prices to keep rising.

While you may not be thinking of selling anytime soon, it’s still always a good idea to continuously take on simple home maintenance tasks so that, when the time to sell does come, the process will be seamless. 

Here are 4 easy tasks you can prioritize that’ll get your home ready for the new year and one step closer to selling for a great price!

All Photos By: Unsplash

Deep Clean

The coronavirus pandemic now makes the cleaning process more important than ever. Some worry of their personal safety, while others worry of passing along the deadly disease to loved ones. Presenting a clean and tidy home free of dust and germs is a great way to ring in the New Year, and give you, your guests, and your potential buyers peace of mind. 

For some, deep cleaning is a daunting task. If you’re looking for housekeeping tips, the best thing you can do is set a schedule or find a method that works for you. Set a timer once a day for just 15 minutes to clean as much as possible during that time, or set a rotating cleaning schedule to undertake once a week. Don’t neglect the frequently touched areas like doorbells, door handles, cabinets, handrails, toilet seats, faucets, remote controls, and light switches. 

Declutter 

Overtime, personal keepsakes start to add up. We all have closets full of old clothes we never wear anymore and little mementos we just couldn’t throw away. Some homeowners ask questions such as “Can crystals help with anxiety?” among others, and it has been proven that more and more homeowners include crystals and gemstones in their homes to ease anxiety, improve sleep, and enhance the positive atmosphere at home. If you’ve lived in your home a long time, the home might feel very cluttered with all that you’ve collected over the years.

While decluttering is important to impress your guests, it’s also one of the most important tasks any seller could undertake. 

If you’re looking for motivation, try the 12-12-12 method. Everyday, find 12 items to keep, 12 items to throw away, and 12 items to donate. In just a month, you’ll be surprised how decluttered and spacious your home will be. Afterward, you can move on to more fun tasks like decorating that will impress anyone who walks into your home!

Curb appeal and yard maintenance

First impressions are always most important, especially when it comes to your home. If you’re selling, any top-notch real estate agent will attest that sprucing up your curb appeal is essential.

Don’t worry about expensive undertakings, as simple tasks can make all the difference. Mow the lawn, repaint the front door, add a nice welcome mat, plant flowers in the garden, and buy prominent house numbers. 

In addition, you might want to consider sprucing up your private outdoor areas as well. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, home buyers are doubly interested in outdoor spaces, while they’re also safe places to host your guests if you’re concerned about the virus. 

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How to Arrange Wall Art for Flawless Display in Living Room

Figuring out the wall art arrangement is one of the problems you often face in interior designing. Unfortunately, when you hang wall art improperly, it sticks out similar to a sore thumb. But getting the right wall art arrangement can be daunting. The way you display wall art is critical when you talk about home decor. You must know some of the unspoken tricks that you must follow. It is a wonderful way to add interest and style to the interiors.

Follow the tips below to arrange the art pieces like a professional and dress walls of a room for an impressive look:

Match Artwork to Interiors

There are many types of artwork including, trending abstract art, photo collage, metal prints, etc. So, choose pieces for the walls that match with other colors of space. Your art piece can introduce an extra accent shade, but it should complement the overall scheme.

Your living room is much more than the transit space. It gives the first impression and is a way to determine how other rooms will look. So, decorating it with art pieces is the perfect business card.

Design a Gallery Wall

Do not worry if you don’t have a big piece to fill blank space and create a focal point. You can showcase smaller pieces you have by designing a gallery wall. You can arrange artworks in grid form or showcase asymmetrical designs. If you put all the art pieces in similar frames, it will create a uniform look. However, if you mix and match frames with different textures or colors, it will give a vibrant and unique view.

Keep Spaces Between all Frames

If you display more than one art piece, always keep enough space between frames to avoid uncluttered wall arrangement. Make sure to leave at least 1 to 2.5 inches of space in between smaller artworks. However, if the wall art size is big, keep 2 to 3 inches of space minimum to achieve a balanced or professional look.

Size Matters a Lot

In the case of wall art displays, size plays a vital role. Choosing the more miniature artwork is as bad as selecting oversized print. So you can take a picture of a wall. Check if the painting consists of light colors; its size will look smaller than the original. At the same time, art pieces made of darker shades absorb the surroundings and create a feeling of a bigger size.

Install Floating Shelves on a Wall

Floating shelves are an innovative and intelligent way to add 2-D art pieces in the empty space. These shelves do not cost much and are easy to create. You just need a plank to attach with the blank space. Then, paint that plank with the same shades as the rest space. Since shelves will blend in on the vertical space, any object like tiny sculptures or books will add a dimension to the room.

Develop a Visual Balance via Artwork

You can hang wall art at any part of a living room, but make sure not to disturb the already set theme. You can usually see art pieces behind the seat or above a fireplace in the common area. You can be a bit creative too. So, while hanging portrait art, take a paper to draw arrows on it. They allow you to indicate the way your subject is observing.

Put Composition

When paintings on a wall have similar sizes, frames, or finishes, they will create a neat result. Its view and outcome are prettier than art pieces with different features. To achieve an asymmetrical composition, always set equal spaces between the art pieces.

The Lean

It is a myth that you can only hang artwork on the walls. But in actuality, you can show off single or multiple art pieces on a long and shallow shelf. To achieve a more casual look, always lean wall art on shelves. Choose different sizes or orientations to have a layered look. If there is extra space, add a small vase or an antique object in front of the artwork to create a visual appeal. Make sure to swap out the art pieces often. This style will look great then.

A Focal Point

A gallery wall makes a statement in the room; similarly, an oversized artwork gives a focal point to the space. It can be a painting, print, photograph, mirror, or other décor elements for an accent wall. It suits well, especially with anchoring large furniture items like bed, sofa, desk, etc.

Bonus Tips

While creating a wall art display, test your arrangement before hanging the art pieces. Because sometimes, you are not sure whether you prefer an asymmetrical or grid pattern. So, pick adhesive tape and mock-up the wall display arrangement.

Once you are satisfied with the view, use a hammer or nails to hang art pieces. Always remember to use low-quality adhesive tape to prevent paint from peeling.

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