How to keep your home like new

Nothing beats the thrill of moving into a brand, new home. But how do you keep it in pristine condition, even with challenges like toddlers, or pets, and a busy lifestyle?

Here’s five ways to live in, and love, your Stockland home. 

1. Start a house file

Keeping records is one of the best ways to ensure you know how to maintain and repair items. Buy a compendium file and pop in important papers relating to appliances, new furniture, air-conditioning, and so on. Because all Stockland homes are designed and built to the highest standard, and include high quality fixtures and fittings, as well as features such as European kitchen appliances, we’re betting you won’t need to search out paperwork too often! Your compendium file is also a great place to keep insurance documents – a printed copy may be handier than a digital copy when you want to check your ability to claim – mortgage and bank papers, power bills, and anything else related to your new home. 

2. Make the inside almost spill-proof

While Stockland builds homes that are good enough to show off, we also care about liveability. You want to have fun and relax in your new home but, at the same time, there are things you can do to avoid spills spoiling the thrills. Before any damage happens, treat furniture and carpet with a stain protector. If you have children, the house rules may include no ball games or dirty shoes inside, for example while, if pizza, popcorn and soft drinks are a must for movie night, you could try a blanket fort on the floor.  A built-in breakfast bar creates an instant catch-up zone where family or guests can enjoy food and drinks in a more casual way than sit-down dining, but food and drink is less likely to leave the kitchen. If a spill does happen, you can use paper towels to soak up liquid or residue and follow up with a carpet shampoo. Red wine stains can be treated initially by sprinkling salt on floor and brushing up the pink crystals. If it’s walls that have been scratched or scraped, minor scuffs can be removed with Magic Eraser, large dents will need sanding, filling and repainting. Always keep the name of paint colours used in your home in your compendium file!

3. Keep the gutters clean 

The simple act of keeping leaves and debris out of your gutters will prevent problems like blocked downpipes, and rainwater leaking into your ceiling cavity. Leaf litter can also be a fire danger.  Make sure you have a good, sturdy, extendable ladder, a bucket for collecting debris and a pair of workman like gloves for the job. Even better – someone to hold the ladder. 

4. Regularly inspect your yard 

Having your own Stockland home in one of our friendly communities, means you can design the garden of your dreams. You can find some great ideas for garden design and landscaping here.  Choosing a robust grass variety like Zoysia, makes sense for the Queensland climate and if there are going to be plenty of two and four legged antics.  If that’s the case, you’ll need to keep an eye out for patches that have been damaged or dug up.  These can be repaired by applying a small amount of sandy top dressing and waiting until the lawn puts out a runner, by reseeding, or by laying new turf on the affected area. Whatever your choice, remember to keep the soil damp while the new patch regrows. To prevent urine burns from your dog on the lawn, water down wee or try putting Dog Rocks in your pet’s water to filter out impurities like ammonia and nitrates and help prevent grass burns.

5. Clean like a professional 

Life’s too short to spend hours cleaning. Fortunately brand new houses don’t gather dust and dirt like older properties. However, you may still like to put some time into getting everything to shine.  Today there is a trend towards more natural cleaning products that are good for the planet and your family.  Some of our favourite brands include Koala Eco, Planet Luxe and Resparkle. 

You can also try these simple cleaning ideas:
- For stainless steel, mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle, mist your fridge, dishwasher or stove, and wipe clean with a dry cloth.
- For marble benchtops, wipe down with a little non-abrasive dishwashing liquid in warm water, and dry the surface.
- For polished wood floors, mix two tablespoons of olive oil, one tablespoon of distilled white vinegar and a few drops of your favourite essential oil and two cups of warm water.  Spray it on and remove it with a mop.