As much as I’d love to say we’re one of those households that stays effortlessly on top of everything, the reality is a little different. With both of us working and two young children in the mix, day to day life tends to take priority, and things like home maintenance quietly slide down the to do list.
But as summer approaches, we always feel that pull to reset. Longer evenings, warmer weather, and the chance to spend more time outside make us want to properly enjoy our home and garden. I am terrible for just wanting to hibernate over the winter. If it wasn’t for taking the kids out, I might not leave the house at all. A bit of preparation now really does make things easier later.
So this is our realistic, family friendly checklist of things we try to tackle before summer arrives. Not perfectly, just enough to make the season feel more manageable and enjoyable.
Getting the garden back to life
Our garden is always the first place that shows signs of neglect after winter. It doesn’t take much to bring it back, it is just about making a start.
We begin with the basics. Mowing the lawn, pulling up weeds that have quietly taken over, and giving shrubs and plants a bit of a trim. It is surprising how much better everything looks after just a couple of hours outside. The lawn is a bit of a struggle for us. The garden is quite shaded in areas and no matter what we do, large parts of the lawn end up with a lot of moss or just not looking great, but we keep it as nice as we can with regular cuts and feeding.
Thankfully, the woman who had the house before we moved in planted the garden with a range of low maintenance, wild plants and hedges designed to attract bees and birds to it. It’s beautiful when it’s in full bloom and is just the kind of style I like, not overly manicured and just natural looking. Nothing ambitious, just enough to make the space feel alive again. If the kids want to help, even better. They’ll gladly help out with the promise of extra pocket money.
Outdoor furniture tends to get ignored until the first sunny day, so cleaning it early is always worth it. We have a wooden picnic style bench that we use for family dinner when the weather is hot enough (but we’re in Durham, so that doesn’t happen often). I also have a project in progress with a beautiful old cast iron patio set which I’m spraying a beautiful French blue. I abandoned it half way through last year and it’s currently being taken over by some ivy.
Tackling the less exciting jobs
These are the jobs we usually put off, but they make a big difference.
Clearing out gutters and drains is top of the list. It is not a fun job, but it helps avoid problems later, especially when heavy rain hits. The drains are a bit of a nightmare for us. The ones in the garden often get clogged up with leaves and cherry blossom petal, which has caused some flooding in the past. The biggest issue stems from the design of the house itself, we have a drain pipe that runs down the wall of our garage (which is attached to the house) and also a manhole cover in there too. On a few occasions when we’ve had torrential rain, the garage has flooded. Since we have things like a chest freezer in there and a range of power tools, this isn’t ideal. So we’ll need to get this looked at properly. Friends of ours who have the same issue, have recommended a CCTV drainage survey to get a good look at what’s going on and fix any issues before they do a lot of damage
We also give the outside of the house a quick check. Looking for loose roof tiles, peeling paint, or cracks might feel unnecessary, but it is better to spot issues early.
Paths and patios get a refresh too, usually just a clean to remove moss and built up dirt. It lifts the whole space. Any excuse to get the pressure washer out that my husband insisted we needed.
Getting ready for warmer weather
British summers can be unpredictable, but when it is warm, you notice it indoors. We make sure fans are clean and working. Even simple things like cleaning vents or extractor fans can help.
Swapping out heavier bedding for lighter options also makes warmer nights more comfortable.
A simple indoor reset
There is something about this time of year that makes you want a fresher space indoors. As soon as the sun starts to come out, I’m cleaning our cupboards and drawers and sending the other half to the rubbish tip on the weekends.
We try to do a straightforward declutter. Nothing extreme, just clearing out things we no longer use. It helps create a bit more space, which is always welcome in a busy family home. With young kids, it’s easy to build up clutter with toys they no longer use or clothes they’ve grown out of. Items either end up at the tip, the charity shop or on Facebook Marketplace.
A deeper clean of the kitchen and bathrooms also goes a long way. Not about perfection, just getting things back under control.
The small jobs that matter
Some of the quickest jobs are the easiest to forget.
Checking for leaks, testing smoke alarms, and making sure outdoor taps and hoses are working properly all fall into this category. They do not take long, but they are worth doing.
We also set up anything that will make life easier over summer. That might be a simple watering system for the garden or just making sure outdoor toys are easy to grab.
Making space to enjoy it
This is really the point of it all.
We are not aiming for a perfect home or garden. We just want a space where we can relax, where the kids can play, and where we can enjoy the longer days without constantly thinking about what needs doing.
Getting a few of these jobs done ahead of time means less stress later and more time to enjoy it.
And if we do not get through everything on the list, that is fine too. Summer has a way of making even slightly chaotic homes feel pretty lovely.
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