The smell of freshly cut grass is starting to fill the early evening air. The nights are beginning to open out and beautiful flowers are blooming all around. It can only mean one thing: springtime is upon us.

But have you ever thought of spring as being one of the best times to carry out improvements on your home?

Think about it. The milder weather and longer days make working easier and less disruptive. Plus, don’t forget that summer is just around the corner and that’s when many of us will be looking to entertain with barbecues and garden parties, so it makes sense to get everything perfect now.

[Recommended reading: Top Tips to Help With Your Home Summer Clearout]

Here are some key areas to improve around your home this spring:

The Kitchen

It’s the heart of every home and if you’re the kind of person who likes to have friends and family over for afternoons and evenings, your kitchen is key.

For starters, to prepare food for tired travellers and wow your guests at the same time, your kitchen requires the right work surfaces, appliances and lighting, to name just a few considerations.

A carefully designed and professionally installed fitted kitchen can offer numerous benefits when entertaining guests. That’s because your friends won’t just be talking about the delicious food you’ve prepared, but also the stylish surroundings that you did it in.

The Garden

From the kitchen, we naturally make our way out into the garden, which is often used as a second kitchen during the summer months. Spring is the perfect time to make improvements to your garden and to maintain what you already have. Staining fences and decking in the spring will not only instantly bring a fresh and clean feel to your garden, but will also protect your wood ahead of the busy barbecue season – a win-win in our books!

Spare Bedrooms

Your spare bedroom is also a popular target for DIYers during the spring months.

Any guests you host in the summer will be very happy that you took the time to revamp your spare room over the spring – especially if they’ve travelled far to see you.

As guest rooms are often among the smallest bedrooms in your home, installing slimline fitted furniture is often a great way to maximise the available space, while still offering plenty of hanging room and storage for visiting guests.

Extra Facilities

With all of these extra people coming to your home, it may be worth adding a downstairs or secondary toilet. The last thing you want is a queue for the loo and with some simple home improvements there won’t be one. And you’ll probably be surprised how little space is required to create a small bathroom that can accommodate a toilet, a wash basin and maybe even a shower.

Even if you don’t have guests all that often, spring is still a great time to make home improvements, if for no other reason than to cheer yourself up after the gloom of winter. Even a simple lick of bright paint and some new kitchen cupboard doors can breathe a fresh new feel into your home, making you cheerier, but a new fitted kitchen would feel even better, right?!

[Related reading: 4 Home Improvement Projects to Tackle This Winter]