Four Home Improvement and Enjoyment Ideas During Lockdown

By Alex Greenwood

I’ve written previously about ways the pandemic lockdown has effected our family’s finances. We are fortunate to see savings that we can apply towards paying off debt but also to spruce up the place we now spend ninety-five percent of our time: home.

We have found a few things to make our home as comfortable as possible during this time of isolation. Besides that, it gives us things to do to stay active in the process.

1. Make Repairs

One thing we noticed is that several of our windows and doors needed attention. Several window casements had minor wood rot, insect issues, and leaks. Thankfully, we could repair the damage ourselves. Now our windows are more secure, less leaky, and more economical. I also replaced a loose doorknob. When things get settled down more, we will be calling a window and door firm to see what our options are for replacement.

2. Plant a Garden

Concerned about having fresh vegetables, and of course looking for a project that can also give us some exercise, we decided early in the pandemic to plant a garden. We bought seeds and dug a small garden plot in the sunniest corner of the backyard. It was some work, and we lost some carrots to varmints until I upped my chicken wire game, but now we are looking at beautiful fresh peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. Sure, it won’t take care of all our food needs, but it does supplement our meals and meal budget. Besides, it’s fun to grow things yourself and demonstrate that skill to our young daughter.

3. Trick Out Your Backyard and Patio Area

If you are fortunate enough to have a backyard, patio, or deck, there are some great ways to make it into an outdoor oasis.

We now devote more attention to mowing, edging, and general DIY landscaping to create a comfortable, welcoming oasis. Around the yard, we hung several affordable solar-powered lanterns that produce a flickering effect at night. We also ordered some comfortable patio furniture online, which was shipped to our door for me to assemble and enjoy.

We don’t have space or the finances to do what so many of our neighbors are doing to cool off, which is installing a swimming pool. However, it hasn’t stopped us from picking up an inflatable pool that we can comfortably cool off in. It’s also a lot less upkeep!

My wife ensures we have beautiful fine feathered visitors, as she installed and regularly refills several bird feeders. The hummingbirds alone are worth the effort! There are, however, some flying guests we don’t want: mosquitoes. We invested in a mosquito eradication service that has effectively eliminated being bitten in our backyard.

4. Enjoy the Space

The folks at Healthy Living News recommend several tips to up your yard game, including:

• Spare yourself a hot kitchen during the summer and cook your meals on the grill outside. They write: “The options for your outdoor barbecue menu are virtually endless, so there’s no excuse for getting bored with grilled fare. Burgers, brats, steaks, chicken, chops, kabobs, ribs, seafood, pizzas, and even fruits and vegetables are just a sampling of the foods you can prepare on your gas or charcoal grill.”

• Dine out(side). Sure, it’s not your favorite restaurant, but it can be a mood lifter if you light a few candles at sunset, open a bottle of wine, put on some soft music, and dine alfresco.

• Take family game night outdoors. Besides board games, there’s volleyball, badminton, corn hole, croquet, and bocce. You can also create a treasure hunt for the kiddos—or even set up a tent and “camp out.”

These are a few things we are trying to make our backyard an oasis. What are you doing to make your backyard a place of peacefulness?