If you have ever wondered how “spring cleaning” as an institution came about, it only takes one sunny morning after the time change when that certain slant of light hits the forgotten nooks of your home before you say, “Holy cow! How did that happen?”
Yes, there’s nothing so illuminating as, well, illumination. Shine a little sun on the subject, and it becomes unavoidable: Your house needs some help. This realization usually happens every spring, but perhaps in the “new normal” of 2010, improving your house on a limited budget is even more relevant.
“Fixing up our homes was really put on the backburner during the economic crisis of the past few years,” says Gail Gray, owner of A Fresh Start professional organizing service, in Costa Mesa. “It’s like a moratorium was declared on home care.”
If our homes were like doted-upon toddlers during the flush years, they were asked to step up and sacrifice during the lean times. Fixing up the family home in Southern California was moved from the “necessary” column to “luxury” on our collective budget ledgers. Indeed, after the exponential equity boom was followed by the crash, many homeowners felt obligated to go cold turkey on fix-ups. However, it’s been more than two years now, and the old abode needs a little attention.
And, like the equinox after a long, dark winter, this season has been a little slow to pass. You may not yet be in the financial position to do significant work, but there are many alternatives that can help clear, brighten and transform those long-neglected rooms and yards.
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