How To Get Your Mexican Home Ready for High Season
Get your home in Mexico ready for High Season with a mix of Maintenance Essentials and revitalizing room upgrades
If you own a home here in Mexico, then you know getting it ready for High Season can be both exciting and challenging. Before you can fully relax into the temperate weather and/or entertaining traveling guests, your home needs a few pick-me-ups. Some of these to-do’s are best done by a professional, while other more simple tasks can be done yourself to make your home cool, airy, bright and ready to take on the best months of the year!
Tasks to Schedule with a Professional
1. Air Conditioning Maintenance
Have you been renting out your condo for the summer? Perhaps your home has just been sitting there, empty. Or you've been blasting the AC all Summer because you stuck around. Either way, it's time to get your AC units serviced! Scheduling a maintenance appointment will ensure everything is working properly and efficiently to not only keep you cool but also save on energy bills throughout the season. A trained technician will check the air filters, vents, clean the condenser coils, check and fill refrigerant levels and more to ensure everything is in top condition.
2. Trim Trees and Bushes
Another task often best left to the professionals is trimming the palms, creeping vines, and other plants that are bursting with life after the rainy season. They can make a real mess and create hazards. If you have coconut palms, schedule routine removal to prevent injury from falling coconuts! Palm fronds and tree branches that are too long or close to power lines can also cause damage in upcoming storms and strong winds. Additionally, trimming branches away from windows and doors also deter unwanted critters from finding their way into your home.
3. Deep Clean Rugs, Mattresses and Upholstery
Summer in Mexico brings in a lot of humidity, and if your home hasn't been occupied, or if you've procrastinated until now, it means a lot of the dust that swirled around the air during the summer, has settled. This can cause your indoor spaces to feel stuffy, musty and unclean. One way to combat this is by deep cleaning your carpets, rugs, and upholstery. Hiring a professional to vacuum and steam clean will not only remove dirt and stains but also freshen up the air quality in your home.
4. Plant New Flowers and Plants
If you consider yourself a gardener you can absolutely take this task on yourself, but it’s often faster and easier to hire someone who knows the local nurseries and native species. Choose plants that thrive in hot weather such as succulents, cacti, bougainvillea, or hibiscus. Plant bee-friendly flowers to give our pollinating friends a leg-up in the summer months. Consider adding some potted plants near seating areas as well. This will give the area a tropical feel while providing natural shade from the sun’s rays during peak hours of heat.
5. Install or Inspect Mosquito Screens on Windows and Doors
As the temperature starts to cool down for High Season, it’s nice to give the A/C (and your wallet) a break and leave your windows open. However, with open windows come unwanted guests like mosquitos, flies, and other insects. That’s why it’s important to install window and door screens early in High Season, or if you already have them, check them for any holes or tears that may need mending.
6. Fumigate
Despite all of your best efforts, insects can find their way into your home. Now that the temperature is cooling off, they seem to be everywhere! Another good measure is to hire a professional fumigator to spray around the exterior and interior walls to deter them from entering under doors, window cracks and drains. If you have pets or children, make sure to ask if they have a more natural spray that won’t be as toxic to our loved ones.
Do it Yourself Tasks
7. Dust Ceiling Fans and Light Fixtures
Have you ever noticed the caterpillar-sized dust worms that fall when you first turn your ceiling fan on after months of not using it? Ceiling fans are an essential part of keeping cool here, but if they’re not cleaned regularly, they can circulate dust around your home which can lead to allergies or respiratory problems. After the humidity of the summer, particles in the air settle as thick dust that can be difficult to reach. Time to get up on that step stool with a damp cloth or microfiber duster to gently wipe away all that dust and debris. While you’re at it, don’t forget about cleaning light fixtures as well. Dust can collect on top of bulbs which reduces their effectiveness and can make them look drab.
8. Wash Patio, Terraces, and Outdoor furniture
Speaking of dust, it’s Everywhere, especially settled in all the outdoor spaces you want to enjoy, so it’s time to give it a good cleaning! After all the rain of summer, dirt and grime has settled in your outdoor spaces. Vacuum those outdoor cushions (or give them a few good whacks) to remove the accumulated dust. And is there anything more satisfying than power-washing a terrace, and wiping down outdoor furniture and grill to make it look fresh and entertaining-ready?
9. Update and Stock your First-Aid Kits and Emergency Supplies
High Season in Mexico is full of fun-filled activities, but it can also mean both scrapes and stings from fun in the sun, ocean, mountains and more. Make sure you have first-aid kits in multiple locations and keep water, flashlights, candles and pantry items stocked in case of emergency.
Now For Some Fun Stuff To-Do!
10. Add fresh decor to your space
Whether you've been here all year or you're just arriving back, High Season is the perfect time to freshen up your decor and make it feel like home. More colorful throw pillows inside and outside, colorful plastic glasses for around the pool, a new, colorful umbrella for an outdoor table, fresh, beachy decor in the bathroom… the list goes on and on! It’s amazing how a few little changes and pops of color can freshen the vibe of your home for summer.
11. Gather your High Season Essentials in an easy-to-reach basket
Think fun, colorful beach towels and sun hats in one basket, and sunscreen and bug spray in another. Consider placing it near a door so guests can find it easily.
12. Set up a hammock or outdoor swing for relaxation
No backyard is complete without a cozy spot for relaxing in the shade. If you don't already have one, hammocks are great for High Season because you can Finally lay outdoors without suffocating from the heat and humidity. Consider setting up a hammock or an outdoor swing beneath a tree or other shady spot to read a book or take a siesta. Adding string lights above your hammock or swing can also create an intimate atmosphere during the evening.
Want advice on how to get your Mexican home ready with a fresh concept, furniture or decor? Contact Sadie May Designs!
