5 Easy Ways to Instantly Update Your Home Today

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I am in my homely phase. For me, this means I am finally paying attention to the space I call home. Many of us are living in temporary places, we are renting, leasing, living with a family member or friend, or any other temporary living arrangement, and I am no exception. Yes, most of us want to own a home, but the reality is that most of us will have to make temporary living arrangements beforehand. Do not let this deter you from fixing up your space. Wherever you live, you should take care of it and make it as homely as possible. I am not usually the cleanest or neatest person in the room, but I've been converted to the housewife religion, and now I spend late nights cleaning up. I've also been binge-watching a ton of home decor videos on YouTube, and my Pinterest and Instagram feeds are filled with home improvement ideas. My mother told me she was "proud" of me after she watched me during one of my late-night cleaning sprees. Now, this lady has never uttered those words to me before, not when I graduated from all those schools and became the first in our immediate family with a degree, not when I got a good job, not when I got promotions, not when I got married, not when I had kids, etc. But she said it with such admiration when she saw me cleaning. This is because she knew I was capable of doing all the above. The cleaning, however, came to her as a surprise because of the child I was. Anyhoo, I had to "break up my fallow ground", after all, I had a husband and kids now. Plus, this is a part of my manifestation routine for my own family home. You'll never be able to take care of your dream house if you don't start taking care of the space you are now in. So, since my conversion, I've learned a whole lot that I will be sharing with you in this and subsequent blog posts. So let's kick things off with 5 small changes that you can make to your space to make it feel more like home.

1. Deep clean

Try to deep clean your space at least once per month. If you work outside of your home, you may not have the time to do a full overhaul regularly but try to do this monthly. A clean space will definitely have you feeling more at home and is also great for your health because it keeps away rodents, roaches and other insects. Move your furniture, then sweep and clean your floors thoroughly. Trust me, this can change the feeling of your space so much. Take all the items from shelves, dressers, cabinets, etc, and remove all the dust from these furniture and the items they hold. Remove cobwebs from corners, clean walls and doors, and clean your refrigerator, stove, and other kitchen appliances. Clean your shower or bath, scrub your toilet, wash rugs, etc. Try to clean every element in your space. Wash or change curtains, bedding, etc. Now, I would not recommend that you leave all of this for one day, especially if you have more than one room to attend to. Instead, create a schedule and try to tackle at least one room per week. Starting is the hardest part but you'll feel so much better when you do.

2. Organize your space

There is nothing attractive or homely about an unorganized space. If you are on the go, you may leave things out of order until you get to them, but try to get to them at least once per week. Organization helps us to think more clearly and can even alleviate anxiety and stress. You can start organizing your home today by first decluttering. Yes, get rid of those items you are not using by either throwing them out or giving them away. My rule of thumb is, that if I can't remember the last time I used it, then I have no use for it. The next step is putting items of a similar nature in one place. You can use baskets and bins to hold these items, especially if you do not have a lot of closed storage. I also recommend using containers to store food items like rice, flour, sugar, salt, etc. once you open the original package. Not only does this make your kitchen or pantry look more organized, but it also makes it look cleaner and more beautiful and has health benefits. Leaving these items in their original package, which is usually a plastic bag, can cause insects to get into them, and exposure to open air can breed mould and other undesirables. When organizing, try to make the items you use frequently easily accessible. It doesn't make sense to keep items you use every day on an upper shelf because you'll take them down and likely not put them back, especially when you're in a hurry. Start organizing today!

3. Change fixtures

Changing your fixtures can give your space a major upgrade. These fixtures are the knobs on your cabinets or dressers, your faucets, light fixtures, plug and switch covers. Taking the time to switch the knobs on your cabinet and dresser changes the look, and depending on the knob you use, can make them look more expensive and luxurious. Changing your kitchen and bathroom faucets can give these spaces an upgraded look and make them look way more modern and stylish. Faucets may be a bit more costly, but the money you spend on them is nothing compared to the time you'll spend using them. Most faucets can be used for five years or more. You can also change switch covers and plug covers. These are usually forgotten after installation and often make our space look less cohesive because sometimes they are different shades of white or a different colour from our wall colour. These are, however, very economical, and you do not have to be an electrician to change these fixtures. If you want to be extra safe, you can turn off your main power breaker. You can find knobs, faucets, switches, and plug covers in a local hardware store or online. An even more economical way that you can upgrade these fixtures is to add paint. Spray paint to add a new colour or refresh the old colour to make them look completely new.

4. Change the layout of your furniture

Changing the layout of your furniture is a great way to make your space look brand new. This is usually applicable to areas such as our bedrooms and living rooms because there are no permanent fixtures there like toilets or cabinets. Move your sofa, your bed, dresser, etc to another area of the room. If any furniture is in front of a window, and you are able to, move them to another area. The more natural light you let into your space, the better it will look. Try to place your bed and sofa against the longest walls in their respective space and then fit the other furniture around them. Also, try to have some of the furniture floating in your space. This means you do not need to put everything up against the wall as this will leave your space appearing smaller. Make the change to your furniture layout today to give your space a fresh look.

5. Add plants to your space

Another easy way to upgrade your space is to add plants. Once you can make a hole at the bottom of a container, you can use it as a plant pot. Go outside, find a plant, dig it up, and put it in the pot. Or ask a neighbour. Most of us have that yard in the neighbourhood that's filled with plants. Go ask for a plant or two. This will make a great addition to your space. Because of their unique shapes and cool colours, plants help to make your space feel lighter and look more organic. Not to mention, they provide health benefits, like purifying the air. If you don't believe you have a "green thumb", then you can buy faux plants. You can find these online or at a local store. A plant intentionally placed can add personality to any space. Some areas you can place plants include, a coffee table, bookshelf, kitchen counter or island, dresser and on a bathroom shelf or atop the toilet's water tank. If you decide to do real plants, it is important that you research what conditions are best for the plant so you can take care of it accordingly. Add a plant to your space and see the difference it will make today.

These five, easy-to-apply tips are applicable to renters or homeowners who want to make quick, economical and aesthetically pleasing changes to their space. Here is a list of items that I put together to help you get started. Now stop reading and "Guh fix up yuh place!"