Winter Home Improvement Projects

While spring and summer may be the seasons most people think about home improvement and spring cleaning tasks, winter can be an excellent time to tackle a home renovation. You have fewer things vying for your attention in the winter because you aren’t planning your summer vacation or dealing with spring holidays and school events. What projects work well in the winter? These are some excellent options to consider.

1. Paint That Room

Is there a room that needs a new color or just a fresh coat of paint? Winter is a great time to paint inside your home. Today’s paints have far less odor than paints of past generations, and usually, you can find a day in the winter when you can open the windows for a bit. This is an affordable option with paint costing around $30 a gallon, and clean, freshly painted walls give your home a considerable upgrade in appearance.

2. Upgrade the Tile

Tile backsplashes can give a bathroom or kitchen a finished and pulled-together look. It also lets you showcase your design personality. If you already have a tile backsplash, you can replace it with something that better matches your tastes. If you don’t have a backsplash, you can add one to liven up your space a little. This particular project does take some time and attention to do well, but it doesn’t have to cost much, depending on the tiles you choose.

3. Add Some Insulation

Adding insulation does have a cost, but you’ll start saving right away with a more efficient home and better energy bills. To see if you need some new insulation, take a trip to the attic. If any floor joists are showing, then it’s time to invest in some more insulation. You can also check the basement or crawlspace to see if you could use more insulation.

4. Update Your Plumbing

That pesky leak in your bathroom costs you money, so use the winter to take care of it. Upgrading your plumbing fixtures can take care of this leak and give you better aesthetics in your bathroom and kitchen. As long as the temperatures aren’t well below freezing, this is a perfect winter activity to tackle. When shopping for new plumbing supplies and fixtures, look for those that are energy efficient to save on your water bill.

5. Upgrade Your Lighting

In the winter, you rely on your lighting more than you do in the summer months when the sun stays out longer. This can draw attention to harsh lighting or dim areas of your home. Why not capitalize on this attention by upgrading or changing your lighting? Making the switch to LED lighting, for instance, will make your home brighter while also lowering your utility bills. If you have your eye on a move in the spring, you will find that LED makes your home more appealing to potential buyers. Upgrading outdated lighting fixtures can add more light and make your home more visually appealing as well.

6. Get Organized

Who said decluttering is a spring cleaning activity? When you’re spending most of your time indoors during the winter months, put that time to good use by decluttering! It costs nothing to go through your stuff and get rid of the things you don’t need or want, and it costs little to invest in some storage containers to start organizing out-of-season clothes or decorations. When you spend the winter organizing, you can enter the summer months without that task hanging over your head.

7. Replace Drafty Windows

Another task that can improve your energy bills is replacing your drafty windows. If old windows are letting in the winter chill, an upgrade will help you cut the energy loss. You can hire this job out or do it yourself, depending on your skill, and the results will be a much more efficient home.

8. Upgrade the Hardware

If you want a home improvement task with a significant impact but minimal cost, consider swapping out the hardware on your kitchen or bathroom cabinets. This is a small task that doesn’t cost much, but it has a big impact on how your space looks. Modernizing this one area can transform the look of your room in just an afternoon.

Whether you are tackling a large project like painting or a small one like hardware upgrades, you can use the winter months to improve your home, all without spending a lot of money. Take the time to do some of these tasks this winter, and enjoy a more beautiful and functional home in the warmer months.