Building a low maintenance home is a good option not only for the environment, at large, but also for your weekends. It’s true. You don’t spend half your life cleaning your home on the days you’re supposed to unwind and disconnect from daily chores, studies or work.
However, if you are looking for ways to give your house an overhaul, then check out these handy tips to declutter your home over a weekend. The fewer things you have in the house, the less hassle it is. You can also play smart by making use of some small, low maintenance home tips while you are constructing your dream house.
Be a little proactive so you wouldn’t have to worry about it later. For your convenience, we have put together all such techniques and come up with a comprehensive low maintenance home checklist:
Low Maintenance Home Checklist
- Ensure cross ventilation
- Keep design elements simple
- Use skylights
- Easy-to-maintain flooring options
- Low maintenance garden
- Use of trendy, low maintenance walls
- Stone exteriors
- Maintenance free window frames
- Kitchen that needs low upkeep
Let’s discuss each point in detail
Ensure cross ventilation
When there is enough ventilation in a unit, you don’t need extra fans to make it bearable during scorching summers. Less electronic equipment in the house means less maintenance needs which, in turn, means less maintenance costs. Cross ventilation is a simple technique which allows cool air to enter the building through an inlet, like an open window, and forces out the warm air trapped inside the house via an outlet, like a door. One of the many ways to have an efficient natural ventilation system in the house is to go for floor-to-ceiling windows. If security is a concern, install protective metal grills.
Keep design elements simple
Use materials for a low maintenance home design. Don’t go for fancy lights that have curves and bends. Choose simple lights that do not take forever to clean, like downlights. Search for better alternatives like window blinds which do not collect dirt. Create plenty of storage space(s), but do not go for open storage cabinets. Keep your valuable possessions behind closed cabinets. This will not only cut down your cleaning time but also give your interiors a more organized look.
Especially in your bedroom and kitchen, when you are constructing your house, make sure the cabinets go all the way to the ceiling or down to the floor. Not only does this increase storage space, but also eliminates hard to reach nooks and crannies. In the bathroom, opt for floating toilets to avoid accumulation of dirt and grime below the toilet bowl.
Use sky lights
Skylights add a beautiful element to your abode. In your low maintenance house plan, leave options for skylights in the roof. This allows light to enter through the gable and saves you from putting up extra lights. You won’t be dependent on artificial lighting to brighten up the interior of your unit. Skylights are, essentially, gateways to natural light in your house.
Easy-to-maintain flooring options
There are plenty of alternatives to choose from other than carpets. However, make sure you choose low maintenance flooring options only. You can go for marble, solid wood floors or vinyl flooring. Vinyl sheets are by far the most cost-effective, and the trendiest, flooring option in Pakistan. They are impermeable to water and can be used in water prone areas like bathrooms and kitchens. If you are searching for trendy floor designs, check out our detailed blog on modern flooring options for your home.
Low maintenance garden
Due to overcrowding in housing in major cities like Karachi, owning a garden has become quite difficult for a majority of homeowners, especially those hailing from middle-income groups. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to state that green spaces in houses is a luxury feature in Pakistani metropolises. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Regardless of factors like space and money, you can still have a low maintenance garden in your home. For example, there are multiple ways a rock garden can be set-up in a small balcony. All you need is a few carefully chosen rocks, some white marble chips, a few potted plants and an eye for aesthetics. Don’t forget to check out these DIY rock garden ideas and choose the one that suits your needs.
Use of trendy, low maintenance walls
If you have painted walls in the house, then they require yearly maintenance, especially if you have toddlers in your family. These are not good at masking the pencil or crayon marks your little one would— at some point— leave on the walls of your house. Grafi is a popular choice among people with small children in the house. Grafi is basically textured cement or concrete wall. It comes in different colours and is quite a popular option to consider when constructing a low maintenance home.
Stone exteriors are not only durable but also trendy
Stone exteriors are all the rage and for good reason. Commonly known as ‘rockwall’, stone acts as a durable, hard exterior. It requires little to no maintenance—not even paint jobs. It also gives a nice, natural look to the house. You can get a variety of stones to choose from. There are plenty of design options available and you can pick the one that goes with your overall front elevation. Grey coloured stones on your outer wall can give a smart look, but if you are looking for something stylish, then opt for cream coloured stones. They look awesome!
Choose your window frames wisely
There are quite a few options out there when it comes to building frame windows that require low upkeep. Fiber glass window panes, wooden frames and vinyl window frames are the best options to consider for a low maintenance home. They promise less hassle. Fiberglass is a tough, durable and weather-resistant material, so in case of heavy rains and harsh weather conditions, the window frames do not get damaged. It is stiffer than wood but at the same time it is quite lightweight. Although expensive, fiberglass window panes are worth every penny as they are durable and can withstand water and any climatic changes.
A vinyl frame is far better than a wooden window pane, when it comes to affordability. Developed in the 70s, vinyl windows were invented as an alternate option to costlier wooden windows. Vinyl is essentially plastic. In the beginning, they used to come only in the shade of white but, luckily, in recent years you can find a palette of colours to choose from. Design options are limited though.
Wooden frames cladded with vinyl are also a good option. They have a sturdy interior and vinyl provides protection against rain and dust. Wooden windows require regular polish and high maintenance, on the other hand, vinyl clad wood frames are easier to clean and are more durable than vinyl-only frames. Indoors, you’ll love the elegant hardwood finish; outdoors, you’ll be grateful as these windows will rarely require any sanding or painting.
For your convenience, we’ve provided a quick comparison of the three options discussed above. Have a look:
Kitchen that needs low upkeep
For a low maintenance home, you can’t deny the importance of incorporating a modular kitchen. Apart from a sense of elegance it invokes, the organized storage cabinets to keep utensils and kitchen essentials are a blessing for homeowners. As everything is kept behind closed doors, such a kitchen does not collect dirt and grime easily and cuts down your cleaning time. Contemporary design cabinets are handle-free and have a neat and clean finish.
Also, every kitchen has a backsplash that requires regular cleaning. Select a glass backsplash for effortless and spot free cleaning. You can also choose stone or rock wall. Don’t go for mosaic tiles as they will take up a lot of time when you’ll clean the space.
So, these were the tips for a low maintenance house. Please keep these points in mind when constructing your dream house and you will thank us later. For more useful tips on home décor and construction, stay tuned to the best lifestyle blog in Pakistan.
