Now that the Halloween pumpkins have been relegated to the compost heap and the autumn leaves have all been raked and bagged, it’s time to think about spiffing up the exterior of your home for the holidays and beyond. Here are some easy ways to give your home a warm, welcoming vibe that lasts all winter long.

Start with a Clean Slate

Before the snow flies, power wash the exterior of your home to get rid of smudges on your siding and cobwebs in the corners of your eaves. Clean your front porch and deck and apply a fresh coat of UV-blocking stain. If your front door is looking drab, give it a new coat of paint in a bold, bright color such as cranberry red or sunny yellow. Wash your windows for maximum sparkle in the crisp, clean winter light.

Decorate Your Outdoor Pots

Thoroughly soak the soil in your outdoor pots with warm water. Fill each pot with a mix of tall and short spruce tips and evergreen branches, white birch logs, and ornamental Indian corn. After Thanksgiving, remove the corn and add stems of glossy magnolia leaves, stalks of bright berries, and sturdy ornaments in your favorite holiday colors. Once the holidays are over, replace the magnolia leaves, berries, and ornaments with curly willow branches that will cast elegant shadows on the white snow.

Illuminate Your Home

Before the shortest, darkest day of the year on Wednesday, December 21, replace any burned-out bulbs in your outdoor light fixtures. Take out all your holiday lights from last year and plug them in. If necessary, recycle any strings that aren’t working and invest in new, heavy-duty outdoor lights. For maximum safety with minimum effort, don’t attempt to outline the architecture of your home while perched on a ladder. Instead, simply wrap your trees and cover your shrubs with white lights and use timers to minimize energy usage. Place electric candles inside your windows to give your home a festive, welcoming look after dusk.

Build Some Backyard Fun

If you or your neighbor have a large backyard, consider joining forces and building an ice rink for skating parties and boot hockey and broomball games all winter long. Check out how-to videos on YouTube and decide which technique is best for your needs. Set aside a couple of weekends and build your rink with plenty of hay bales for bleachers and a fire pit for warming up. When the temperature falls below 32 degrees, flood the rink, sharpen your skates, and invite everyone over for the inaugural face-off followed by hot chocolate and s’mores under the stars.

Call Cambria Mortgage

The experts at Cambria® Mortgage™ are always available to answer questions about home ownership and provide advice and guidance. For more information, visit CambriaMortgage.com or call 952-942-0110.