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As the second lockdown begins, you’re probably thinking about what you can do with all your time at home. Spending time looking at the same four walls can not only make you bored, but it can also make you look at your home differently and negatively.
You might notice DIY projects that need completing, things that need fixing or changing, but this is no bad thing as you have the time not to start improving them. If you can’t see any jobs that need doing but want to get out your tools and keep busy, then there are plenty of tasks that you can do to stay occupied and to make improvements and save you money in the long run.
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Repairs
Have a good look around your house and look at everything objectively as it can be easy to get used to broken things and not even notice them anymore. Check every lock, every door, every step and if there’s anything that needs repairing then start with that. Do all those little jobs that you have been putting off or haven’t had time to do before and that way there’ll be nothing niggling at you.
Bleeding radiators
It’s not an exciting job but with winter and cold weather on the way, then bleeding the radiators is something you can do and it’s a nice and easy job to get your DIY momentum up. If your radiator is colder at the top and warmer near the bottom, that means there’s air in the system, and you need to bleed it. All you need to do is to turn off your central heating and loosen the bleed valve on the side of your unit with a radiator key.
Make sure that you have a jug ready to catch excess water and once the hissing has stopped you just need to re-tighten the screw and then you can turn your central heating back on. Easy!
Fill cracks in the walls
If you have any cracks in your walls, again it might be something that you have just gotten used to now, or it might be that you haven’t noticed them before. Well, take the time to have a look because even the smallest cracks can let in wind, rain or even rodents. You don’t need a professional to do this job, and just using an ordinary powdered or pre-mixed filler can easily sort out any cracks or holes. Remember though that thick layers can take up to 24 hours to dry, once they have hardened they should hold for years.
Clean your gutters
You might as well do this job now before it gets any colder and while you have the time to get the ladder out and get up on your roof. If your gutters are full of leaves, sludge and rainwater, then this can damage your roof and seep into the walls of your home. So either get your ladder out and simply get up there and start clearing out the gutters with your hands and a trowel, alternatively invest in an extendable gutter cleaner so that you don’t have to get your hands dirty or leave the ground.
Upholstering/Upcycling
If you have some old furniture that needs sprucing up a bit then now is the time to do it. Whether it’s something that needs doing or you’re just bored, there’s no harm in giving your stuff a fresh coat of paint or a complete overhaul. No matter what it is, from a chair to a chest of drawers, there are online tutorials all over the internet to help you. Just make sure you have the tools you need to create something fabulous. You might need a staple gun, hot melt glue guns, some fabric and foam. But don’t worry as you can get all of these online so you don’t need to go out to keep busy.
Christmas Decorations
If you’re crafty, then you could use this time to make your own Christmas decorations. While you can do this with bits of paper with your kids, if you want something a little more professional-looking, then again there are tonnes of tutorials online for how you can make some beautiful decorations that will look like you paid a lot of money for them. You’ll be able to make them unique to you and your family.
Build your own shed
Okay, this is a big job, but it’s one that’s worth doing and especially now. You could either order yourself a flat-pack shed unit online, or you can go for something more substantial, which could provide you with a great place to work from home.
