It is definitely true that most of us neglect the outside of our homes during the winter season. I say most because I still see people who seem to have the outsides of their homes taken care of even over the winter.

In my community in Birmingham, there are some really pretty and well-maintained houses and gardens right throughout the year.

This is something I would love to be able to afford, but I can’t. Frankly speaking, I just can’t imagine enduring the cold for long periods of time.

I am going to share with you several ways that you, and possibly members of your own family, can keep the outside of your home looking clean and well maintained.

This is the frugal way to do it. Frugal is important in this regard because no one wants to spend more than they have to for anything.

We will start with some really simple ideas that will be easy for one or two people to do. The other ideas might take a little more manpower and or cash.

Repotting outdoor plants is a good way of getting your outside space ready

Do you have potted plants in the front or back of your garden? Are they overgrown, dried up, or otherwise looking worse for wear? I feel that this tends to make your outdoor space look less than charming.

You know the look: roots fighting their way out, the plant looks way too big for space it’s in. These are obvious signs that the plants need repotting. And this is not hard nor scary to do. Thankfully, these folk shows us exactly how to get the job done.

One of the good things about repotting plants is that you often end up with plants that you can share with a friend, family member, or even with your neighbour.

Why not check with your nearest garden centre to see what’s on offer in terms of flowers, seeds etc?

I like the look of these outdoor plant pots from Amazon, especially as delivery is free. Bear in mind that outdoor pots should be washable, sturdy, and even allow you to paint or spray them.

Get your shed ready

Do you use your shed as an extension of your living space? Is it your man cave? Hopefully, it is not just a tipping ground for your overflowing and excess ‘stuff’.

I’ve seen some beautiful sheds that serve as havens for your creativity and spontaneity. My friend Antoinette recently showed me photos of her shed lovingly put together for her by her husband. In the summer sunshine, it was a sight to behold. She currently uses it as a sewing room and I must say that I’ve got shed envy.

For tips on taking care of your shed and making it a beautiful space, check this post.

Do some paint job touch-ups

As the outside of your house is exposed to the elements all year ’round, you will find areas that are discoloured, peeling, cracking, or just plain dull and unattractive.

Should you call in some workmen to get the job done? Not if you can manage to do it yourself!

It’s always a good idea to keep a pot of paint for each colour outside your home. Window and door jams sometimes need a touch-up and that is something that you can do to spruce up the outside of your home. If you feel up to it, you could even use a spray bottle to get larger areas done.

Clean gutters and windows to get your outside space ready

 

Have you ever seen gutters so clogged that all sorts of ‘exotic plants’ start growing out of them? I have seen it myself….. and from my own gutter. Not any more though.

Thankfully, with a ladder and a Karcher Full Control Pressure Washer, washing out your gutters is a breeze.

At first, the pressure washer looked quite scary to me, but now I see it as just a hose with water and very high pressure which help to do the hard work for you.

I love to say ‘I don’t do windows”, and I really don’t. But I love to see when they are squeaky clean and spotless. And there’s no use cleaning the insides of the windows and leaving the dirty outside to laugh at you.

A bucket with soap and water with a rag will do the job. Then give it a shine using a glass cleaner. When the windows aren’t very grimy, the Cif professional window cleaner for less than £4, on its own does well.

Weed and wash walkway, outside concrete/tiles etc

One of the things that can really help in getting your outside space ready and look good all year round, is to clean up weeds and get the walkway scrubbed up and looking new.

This is where the lovely Karcher pressure washer comes into play again.

Watch this short video with me to see what a beautiful result you can get with just washing the walkway (and actually removing weeds at the same time).

You can do it yourself and get great results that will be the envy of the neighbours. One great idea too is to actually put your pressure wash up for rent and earn some money. Some people wouldn’t want to buy a pressure washer, even if it is only £90. But they would quite happily rent one for 20 or 30 pounds. So in no time, you would have a good return on your investment and still have your machine to use whenever you want. Frugal? You bet!

Get Rid of Anything unsightly

Sometimes we do treat our garden, especially our back garden as a dumping ground. Do you know what I mean?

I know sometimes I put old things I no longer need in the garden.  I’ll hold my hand up to that. After a while, you get so accustomed to seeing it there that it does not affect you at all.

Take a step back. Imagine that this is someone else’s garden and you are taking a quick look and giving advice.

What would you get rid of?

Old paint cans?

Broken ornaments?

Old pots and pans?

Old mops?

Whatever it is, if it is broken, get rid of it and use your garden as an exciting extension of your living space. Use it for entertainment, for relaxing, for spending lazy evenings with family and or friends.

So there you go. Put some music on and get your booty going as you work. You will benefit greatly and will be glad that you did it. If you have additional ideas of how to get your outdoor space ready after the winter, feel free to share in the comments.

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Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your garden.