Turn the buzz into action this spring

A buzz is in the air. With winter’s cold grasp slowly loosening its grip, our brains and conversations are filling with ideas and plans for warmer weather. Manitoba summers are always busy, as we try to make the most of the sunshine and green grass, and springtime is the perfect time to prepare for it.

With the last of the snow falling off our eavestroughs, perennials poking their heads through the dirt in our gardens and the hum of our furnaces slowly fading out, we’re reminded there’s a lot to do to prepare for summer. We should probably check our roofs for winter damage. We may have elaborate plans to reseed the garden. And it’s time to peel off the air-conditioner cover and ensure our systems are optimized.

It’s also the perfect time to revisit all the home observations you had throughout the winter. Did you find your energy bill was too high and think about triple-paned windows? Did you notice a door sticking that previously worked fine? Did you put off projects owing to the cold that you might want to revisit before summer’s schedule fills up?

If so, there’s a great opportunity for Manitobans to see just how they can address any issues or improvements they’d like to make in or around their homes. The Home and Garden Show is coming to the RBC Convention Centre from April 9 to12. Tickets start at $7.50 for half-day admissions and children 12 and under get in free.

This annual show is a chance to have all your questions answered by experts, discover new and exciting options or innovations and compare different service providers within the same room. It can take weeks or months to do your research on a potential new project, find time to call local businesses, wait for estimates, schedule home visits then come up with a solution. The Home and Garden Show fast tracks all that work into a single event. Instead of these projects hanging off the side of your desk, you can spend one afternoon solely focused on them, in a fun and casual environment that helps reduce the stress of trying to balance it all.

If you need more help in your journey as a consumer, especially in a world where misinformation runs rampant, you can stop by the Better Business Bureau table to learn more about how to select businesses you can trust and how to avoid scams. The BBB works to create a marketplace where consumers and businesses can trust each other and it can provide expert tips and advice for how to start and complete your shopping.

This spring, take the time to address all those backburner home improvement questions and concerns you’ve had. Clear them out of your mental space and improve your physical space by reserving some time to tackle them now. Turn that buzz of spring into action and watch it blossom into extra energy and excitement this summer.