As spring settles in, we all start to think about the warmest time of year ahead, and perhaps look forward to spending long afternoons and evenings in our gardens, maybe entertaining friends or just relaxing as a family.

So it’s the perfect time of year to reassess your outdoor areas and think about how you can refresh them after the long weeks and months since last summer. And, if you are thinking about selling up and moving on, you’ll want to showcase this space at its best for viewings.

Here, we look at two ideas that could breathe new life into your garden this spring:

1. Use a Steam Pressure Washer on Your Patio

This is an effective, efficient way of cleaning this part of your outdoor areas and shifting dirt and even some stains.

Pressure washing, also called jet or power washing, uses, a high-pressure water stream to remove grime and any other contaminants from the stone’s surface. A steam pressure washer heats water so that it is very hot (beyond boiling point) and forms steam, which you then spray at strong pressure to loosen and remove lingering grease and stains. It’s an ideal method if you don’t want to use chemicals (it’s very eco-friendly) but need a deep clean.

This safe and gentle technique won’t any cause damage or affect the warranty on your patio. The hot steam also blasts away bacteria and mould, to create a hygienic outside space with minimal chance that any nasties will grow back.

What’s more, you get long-lasting results and, with steam cleaning, drying times are quicker than with standard pressure washing, which could leave your patio wetter for longer.

Equally, you can save money by hiring a steam pressure washer and doing the job yourself, and enjoy full control over the process and clean your patio in your own time and at your convenience.

2. Add a Garden Bench

There are more benefits to installing a bench right outside your home than you may have realised. For a start, it creates a focal point, drawing the eye immediately and creating a feeling of harmony and balance. Plus the various styles available give you plenty of choice.

These pieces are also very space-efficient, since they can seat more than one person at a time, reducing the need for multiple chairs. They’re also very sociable items, and encourage good conversation, either with your own family or others.

There’s just something very relaxing and stress-busting about a garden bench – it creates the ideal spot for relaxing with a drink, enjoying your garden and being outside more generally, reading or just reflecting.

Go for a teak garden bench in particular and look forward to exceptional durability and longevity, natural moisture resistance and needing to do almost nothing in the way of upkeep and maintenance. These benches can stay outside all year round in all weathers, for years if not decades, since teak will just repel water thanks to its natural oils, and won’t swell, rot or warp.

Either (or both) of these ideas could be ideal solutions for transforming your garden this spring, and setting it up for the summer ahead.