"Summerize" Your Home with These Spring Projects

It's hard to believe, but the official start of summer is just a few weeks away! Here are some spring cleaning projects you should definitely consider tackling before the hottest days of summer descend upon us.

Air Conditioning
It's important to have your air conditioner in perfect working order before summer starts. Taking care of any issues after the summer heat hits can potentially result in an increase in price, as well as an increase in the time it takes for a technician to visit your home. You should also replace any filters now. Simply remove the old one and take it to your local home improvement center. Sales representatives should have no problem finding its replacement.

Clean out your garage
Organizing a garage can be an excruciating experience during the hot summer months, so if that's something you need to do, don't put it off any longer. Once you clean out your garage, either donate any unwanted items or sell them.

Paint
Late spring is the perfect time to paint the interior of your home since the weather best lends itself to keeping your windows open, allowing the fresh air in and the paint fumes out. If you decide to paint the inside of your home, think about lightening the existing color as opposed to darkening it. Lighter colors are not only inviting, they create the illusion of a bigger, more open space.

Buy fans
Installing ceiling fans and using portable fans are great methods for cutting the heat inside your home. They are also far less expensive to use than an air conditioner. Using fans of any kind also enables you to keep windows open at night, allowing fresh air to circulate throughout the house.

Install dimmer switches
Dimmer switches not only add ambience, they also cut down on energy and the unwanted heat given off by brighter bulbs. Another tip is to use low-wattage light bulbs whenever possible.

Good luck and happy "summerizing!"