Make the best of the stay-at-home period: Do some home improvement.

Although for many people the stay-at-home period necessitated by the spread of the Coronavirus, the cancellation of sporting and social events and closure of hospitality venues will be irksome, one way of making the best of the situation is to spend time attending to the maintenance/improvement of your home.

"These prolonged non-social periods need not be boring or frustrating if, possibly for the first time, you try your hand at D-I-Y tasks. Our experience at Alexander Swart Property," says Rowan Alexander, Director of that estate agency, "is that clients often derive a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure from such work and in the process families can bond together. Importantly too, such work often increases their home's value. Gardens in particular, can be transformed by a few weeks of attention and limited expenditure. Simple woodwork treatment or painting tasks done with care can also make all the difference to a home's appearance.

Alexander Swart has several clients who, before the virus outbreak, undertook tasks such as repairing leaky plumbing, decluttering spaces, replacing blown lightbulbs, re-aligning cupboard doors and repainting one room at a time. Such changes might seem insignificant but can add much value and character to your home when combined.

At the Cape, with winter not far off, it is now an appropriate time to attend to the cleaning and repainting of gutters and roofing and to ensuring that woodwork is protected against the damp of the coming months. It can also be a good time to replant parts of the garden with flowers and shrubs that will blossom in spring and add greenery to the overall picture as a whole.

"In every major national setback there can be long-term hidden benefits: if the spread of this dangerous virus is used to strengthen family ties and improve the look and value of homes, some good will come out of the disaster. Those who have already taken this advice are reporting that becoming more involved in home upgrades has been a huge consolation at this time."

For further information or comment contact Rowan Alexander on cell phone 082 581 3116 or by email: rowan@asproperty.co.za