Winter sure is here when the days become shorter, and the temperature gets chilly. When the temperature drops, though, you’d rather curl up indoors with a mug of hot cocoa in your hands, forgetting about all the home improvement project that needs to be done.
Added to this, the anticipation for the upcoming holiday activities makes you feel all drained out, without the energy or motivation to complete home improvement projects. In fact, according to the leading real estate platform, HomeLight, only 8% of contractors and builders have projects during the cold season.
Here’s something that could motivate you to complete your home improvement projects: between October and March, building materials and labor costs are at their cheapest, HomeLight further revealed.
Plus, you’ll be spending most of your time indoors during winter, which answers two needs. One, home improvement projects can make your home more conducive to live in, with all its efficiencies and comfort. Two, home improvement projects are a great way to pass the time during those long winter days you’re stuck at home.
Considering all of this, winter is a great time to complete home improvement and maintenance projects. If you can’t remember which projects to start with, let this article provide you with a list. Below are some home improvement projects you can complete this winter.
Start in the Yard
Snow will force some plants to go dormant. Others could be dead when the snow melts. While there’s no snow yet, now’s the perfect time to take care of your plants. When the snow comes, they’ll be able to withstand the weather and be right back up in spring.
To keep your plants healthy despite the weather, add fertilizer. This is not reserved for potted plants only. Even your shrubs, grass, and trees should be fertilized, too. This will keep all our plants nourished until spring.
If you have tropical plants, pot them up if they’re not yet placed in planters. Keep them indoors until winter ends. Frost can kill them if they’re left outdoors.
Taking care of your plants is a cheap and excellent way of maintaining the look of your yard until the cold weather warms up.
Reseal Openings and Insulate Your Home
Your home’s heating system works harder when the weather outside is cold. Replacing or updating the insulation in your home and resealing openings will make it easier for your heating system to do its job. Plus, it’ll reduce your energy costs.
Inspect your attic. Remove aging, worn-out insulation and replace them with new ones. You can simply add more insulation if they’re still good enough.
Inspect your doors and windows, too. Look for any cracks or openings where heat can escape or cold air can enter your home. Re-apply caulking and reseal openings where necessary.
Insulation and caulking are useful all year round. They’ll keep heat indoors during winter. They’ll also keep cold air-conditioned temperatures in the summer.
Remove Clutter and Get Organized
Keeping your home free of clutter and getting it organized is a great way to pass up time while you’re indoors during summer. It’s also the perfect opportunity to get rid of stuff that reminds you of a bad year if you had one. Still, you can let go of stuff that didn’t end up well this year.
Work from one room to the next. This ensures you have enough time to think about which items to keep, donate, or throw away. Think about the stuff that’s cluttering your home but is not being used. You may even find things that can still be useful, which can help you save money because you don’t have to buy them anymore.
After removing the clutter around your home, organize them into three separate boxers: for donation, for the trash bin, and for keeping.
For everything that needs to be thrown out, make sure to collect them all and bring them outside at the right time. Why? There is a weekly schedule that municipality street sweeping follows. You must consider this and not leave your garbage outside, which could get in the way of the city’s sweepers.
Paint a Room or Two
Maybe it’s time to use livelier paint in one of your living spaces. Winter is often a time that brings people’s mood down. Having lively paint in the living room or dining room can keep everybody’s spirits up.
A great thing about having a paint job during winter is the availability of professional painters. If you decide to hire one, you’ll definitely be able to book one immediately, considering not too many people have home improvement jobs during this time.
You can also update the paint or wallpaper in your laundry room. Laundry rooms are often bleak. According to House Logic, Realtor’s home improvement website, you can make yours look a bit livelier with fresh paint or a new wallpaper design. Giving your laundry room a new face will make it more enjoyable to do your weekly laundry.
Home Sweet Home
If you have other projects in mind, go ahead, complete them during winter. If you follow all the tips right, your house will likely be in great shape for winter weather. Plus, you’ll be less likely to get bored.