It’s time yet again for spring cleaning.
While some homeowners may regard the term as an effort to free up some closet space — or as a catch-all for any household chores performed from March through June — others tackle it with vigor, and often with the help of professionals.
Property managers, real estate stagers and other home experts spoke to Northforker to help craft the ultimate guide for homeowners to prepare their home for the season of regeneration. From fresh linens to outdoor sprucing, these professionals know how to ready a space to attract renters or to rejuvenate a home.
SPRING INTO SUMMER
It is critical to schedule maintenance for summertime essentials in the spring ahead of the warmer months, when it may be too late to call on a busy handyperson.
“Some of the basic things are HVAC checks, you want to check your air conditioning system to make sure that it’s ready,” said Alan Kahn, who has operated his North Fork Caretaker home concierge service since 2009. “Workers won’t do it till it gets warmer, but you’ll want to schedule that early because everyone else will be scheduling.
“You want to have your irrigation system turned on,” he continued. “As soon as it starts getting warm, the grass is going to need your water pretty quickly.”
PAMPER YOUR PATIO
Fall and winter can wreak havoc on a home’s curb appeal. Whether homeowners take matters into their own hands or hire professionals, strengthening the outside of a home is essential come spring.
Starting up high, Kahn said gutters must be cleared of all debris to ensure those April showers flow freely. Windows and window screens should also be cleaned up so the sun shines through spotless glass.
Of course, the yard also needs tending. Rosane Casella, a property manager of more than two decades and president of Beachfront Property Management, said landscapers need to clear the leaves and twigs strewn across the lawn.
“After the fall cleanup in December, there’s always residual there,” Casella said. “We also prepare the lawn by fertilizing it. Usually in March fertilizer starts and then they have a schedule for fertilization.”
Some homeowners may also consider trimming back perennials and spreading a fresh layer of mulch to complete their outdoor spring clean up.
LET THE LIGHT IN
When it comes to the inside of a home, the first thing people should do once the weather warms is pick a day to open all the windows and air out their entire home.
This will help imbue the kind of natural atmosphere Sandra Wittich, who has staged North Fork homes for 15 years, strives to establish in every home. She describes her style as a “clean, coastal, light, minimalistic, airy look.”
“I choose a lot of light-toned fabrics,” she said. “I choose a lighter hued variety of decor, more airy and breezy coastal touches.
“Most of my homes that I’ve done all have pillows on the couches, either linen or very neutral velvet in grays and light blues,” she continued. “My features are more of natural woods and light-toned woods. I tend to go along a neutral theme versus bold and colorful.”
DECLUTTER
Busy countertops are a no-no for rental properties, and even for everyday homeowners. Most kitchen items — from utensils to pots and pans and small appliances like toasters — should be kept well-organized behind closed doors and drawers.
That open counter space makes kitchens look larger than they are, and allows the few accents and necessities that make the cut to really pop. Wittich recommends keeping nice coffee makers and boutique ingredients on the counter, provided they are well presented.
“If someone is a cook, they might like to have some nice infused olive oils, different sea salts that are accessible and look nice,” she said. “If they want to leave that out, they should use a pretty tray or something that makes it presentable, but also accessible.”
SWITCH THINGS UP
Wittich also believes spring is the perfect time to rearrange some furniture and even repaint the walls to give the living room a completely new feel. She suggests removing some unused furniture, such as an end table that serves no purpose, and adding some artwork that would pair well with a natural coastal breeze theme.
With the remaining furniture, Valerie Goode, who owns Jamesport-based Colony Realty, suggests limiting literature to one coffee table book, and perhaps a fewmore books on other shelves, which should be kept as decluttered as possible. A flower pot is another great accent item that takes up minimal real estate on any surface.
Lastly, Wittich recommends homeowners quite literally brighten up their rooms with a floor or tabletop lamp and a change in drapery.
“I like softer hued bulbs that don’t make the room look so illuminated and overly bright,” she said. “I think if people let natural light in and use sheer curtains like linen curtains, it allows the natural light to come in versus trying to illuminate it with light bulbs.”
