Best Home Improvement Projects To Accomplish In The Winter
When the bitter cold of winter sets in, it is particularly difficult to stay motivated. The freezing temperatures, combined with short days, make even the most proactive person lethargic. While outdoor options might seem limited, the winter months allow you lots of free time to accomplish many home projects that you find yourself too busy to tackle in the spring and summer months.
Some of the top home improvement projects you can accomplish during the winter include improving insulation, upgrading your lighting, tackling a flooring project, cleaning gutters, and painting the interior of your house. You can also accomplish big projects like building a deck or renovating a bathroom, as contractors, labor, and supplies are often cheaper and more plentiful in the winter months.
When you don’t feel like going outside in the bitter cold of winter, consider thinking of all the projects you can tackle inside your home. From painting to organizing and even complete transformations, there are endless home improvement opportunities you can accomplish in the winter. Keep reading to learn about our top picks for winter home improvement projects to help give you some motivation and inspiration.
Reasons The Winter Is A Great Time For Home Improvement Projects
- You Can Often Find Better Prices. The winter months, especially after the holidays, tend to see a decline in sales. This leads to discounts on everything from painting supplies to lumber and even window treatments. If you are wondering what project to tackle first, check to see what’s on sale.
- Help Is Easier To Find Contractors And Workers. The warmer months are more popular times to accomplish projects. This means contractors and workers are in high demand. In the winter, you can often get cheaper labor and you have more options to choose from.
- Lots Of Long Weekends To Plan Bigger Projects. From the holiday season to multiple national holidays in January and February, the winter is a time of long weekends. Three-day weekends are often enough time to complete a project, or at least finish the most involved elements of a larger one.
- You Can Enjoy The Results All Spring And Summer Long. One of the biggest benefits of finishing a home improvement project in the winter is it allows you to enjoy it all spring and summer. Instead of working on your home during the spring and summer, you can simply enjoy your new and improved home.
12 Home Improvement Projects You Can Accomplish This Winter
1. Renovate A Bathroom
Bathroom renovations are cumbersome and involve lots of parts, time, and expertise. While the winter might not seem like an ideal time to do an involved indoor project (since you are spending so much time inside), there are some major benefits.
Mainly, you can find a contractor and helpers very easily in the winter, as they are less busy. It also means you can negotiate rates. You may also find products at a discount during the winter.
2. Upgrade Your Lighting
With so much darkness in the winter, it pays to focus on the light. If you haven’t upgraded your lighting in five years or longer, you might want to make this a winter project. Upgraded lighting can add brightness to your home in the winter, giving it a warmer look. With the right lighting, you can also cut down on your energy costs, which saves you money in the long run.
3. Paint Rooms Inside Your Home
Painting rooms inside your home can be painstaking, which is why many people put this type of project off for months or years. Use the long winter months as a time to conquer your interior painting projects one at a time.
One benefit to painting in the winter is you have controlled temperatures and usually low humidity. Make sure you have good ventilation, and try to plan your big painting days when the weather is warm and dry enough to open the windows.
4. Build A Deck
You might think that the winter is the worst time to build a deck, but in fact, the opposite is true. The winter is often the best time to build a deck. You don’t want to build a deck with wet wood when there are risks of blizzards, but with the right planning, you should be able to avoid the difficulties that winter weather poses.
The big benefits of building a deck in the winter include cheap labor, contractors with open availability, and cheaper materials. This means you can get your deck done for less, and often much faster than in the summer. Best of all, the deck will be done just in time for you to enjoy it.
5. Upgrade Your Home Safety Devices
The winter is also a good time to think about your safety. Spending so much time indoors with the heat on and fires going means you need to think about smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide. Make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are up to date, and upgrade accordingly.
6. Install A Security System
Security systems are more accessible than ever. From Ring doorbells to multi-camera state-of-the-art security bundles, you can install all sorts of home security systems on your own. The winter is a good time to accomplish this project, as there are many long weekends to learn how to do the installation. Winter also means no leaves on trees, which makes trimming them easier for those who need to trim back branches to make room for cameras.
7. Clean And Repair Gutters
It’s no surprise that gutters fail and overflow at the end of winter and the start of spring. With the melting of ice and the gathering of dead natural materials in and around the gutters, it is a time when these materials are pushed to the limit. Instead of being reactive, be proactive and clean and repair gutters in the winter. This will mitigate damage and prevent a potentially costly issue down the road.
8. Make Your Home More Of A Smart Home
Homes are getting smarter and smarter these days. Nearly every device and appliance has a “smart” option, and these intelligent devices are in high demand. If you plan to sell your house soon, or simply want a more user-friendly home, consider making it a smart home. You can upgrade your lights, thermostat, entertainment system, and more to make everything digital and wireless, all without leaving the warmth of your home.
9. Tackle A Flooring Project
Flooring projects are another example of a tedious project people like to put off. Whether you need to strip hardwood floors or install carpet, the long idle months of winter are the perfect time to accomplish this. Many of these projects can be done without a professional, but it’s good to know that the winter provides you with ample options if you need to call one in.
10. Improve Insulation And Seal Gaps
If you live somewhere with a long winter, then insulation is key. Without quality insulation, your electric bill will be much higher than necessary. If you are looking to lower your electric bill, work to improve your insulation. This means adding it where it needs it and taking the time to re-caulk and seal up any gaps and openings. Accomplishing this in the winter means you will see results immediately.
11. Replace Window Treatments And Insect Screens As Needed
Replacing window treatments is another great energy saver. While this is a costly endeavor, you are likely to pay less for this project in the winter than in the summer. Some companies even run sales in the winter months on window treatments. You can also use the winter when there are fewer insects, to repair or replace your insect screens.
12. Organize And Declutter the Attic
If your attic needs some rearranging, it is much easier to do so in the winter than in the summer. Attics that are not well-insulated (of which there are many) are brutally hot once summer hits. While they might be cold in the winter, it is much easier to dress warmly and organize, than try to work in the brutal heat.
Wrapping Up The Best Winter Home Improvement Projects
Winter might inspire you to curl up into a blanket and be lazy, but you don’t have to let the cold months be completely unproductive. While it might be challenging to complete some outdoor tasks, there are lots of home improvement projects you can still accomplish during the winter. You can complete a flooring project, redo your bathroom, upgrade your lighting, and even build a deck. If you are looking to save energy in the winter, consider improving your insulation or installing new window treatments.
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Tom Gaffey is an expert writer who currently resides in Washington D.C. Tom has a passion for real estate and home improvement writing, as well as travel and lifestyle writing. He lived the last twelve years in Hawaii where he worked closely with luxury resorts and event planners, mastering his knowledge of aesthetics and luxury products. This is where he found his passion for home improvement and a keen interest in DIY projects. Currently, Tom resides in Washington D.C, and also working on his debut fiction novel.
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