Home Improvements You Can Make During Winter
When people think of home improvement projects, they usually think of things that should be done during the spring and summer months. However, many of the improvements your home needs can be made during the winter months, too. In fact, there may be an advantage to doing some of these improvements during the winter, including lifting your spirits if you find winter to be particularly gloomy and dull. Here are eight improvements you can make during the winter.
1. Upgrade Your Energy Source
If you're making home improvements to increase the value of your home, there is no better investment to your home than the addition of renewable energy. Even if you don't plan to sell your home, installing solar panels is an investment that pays for itself in a matter of a few years.
If you consider your total solar panel cost and compare it to what you're going to pay in utilities over the next 10 years, you might be surprised at what you find. Even if you get a loan to install solar, the loan payment is likely going to replace your utility bill until there is no longer a loan payment. At that point, your energy becomes completely free.
2. Renovate Your Laundry Room
Laundry rooms are one of the most neglected areas of a home. They get dingy, lack organization, and have no style. However, your laundry room could be an inviting area of the home that you actually enjoy spending time in.
Imagine if instead of the cold, utilitarian shelving you currently have in place, you added shelving made of natural materials to add warmth, spruced it up with a fresh coat of paint or fun wallpaper, and added plants and attractive storage features. Why not even add a digital device so you can stream your favorite show or listen to music as you fold laundry? The chore of laundry would never be the same.
3. Update Your Kitchen Cabinet Hardware
If your kitchen cabinets and countertops are in good shape, but you still feel they could use something to give them a little lift, consider replacing the hardware. Hardware can make an outdated kitchen look modern and sleek.
Keep in mind, if you're choosing metal hardware, your hardware should match the hardware in the rest of your home. For example, if your door knobs are chrome, choose chrome hardware for your cabinets as well. Otherwise, you risk losing a stylistic flow to your home.
Other places you can update hardware include your bathrooms, laundry room, and even old furniture.
4. Replace Old Light Fixtures
Light fixtures are more of a fashionable piece to your home, and they have the tendency to fall out of fashion after about a decade. If you have old light fixtures, consider donating them to Habitat for Humanity so someone else can use them. Replace them with something colorful or trendy. Light fixtures can change the entire atmosphere of a room.
5. Add Some Fresh Paint
A fresh coat of paint can be transformative for a room. It's also a great way to let your home reflect your personality. If you're an outgoing person who enjoys entertaining, maybe choose bold colors. If you're more subdued and enjoy quiet weekends at home, neutral colors will complement that desire.
While you may not think painting your walls during the winter months is a good idea, you also might not have considered that the air is actually drier during the winter which helps speed up the drying time of the paint. An added bonus: You can find better deals on paint during these slow months at your local hardware store.
6. Upgrade Your Bathroom Faucets
Like light fixtures, bathroom faucets are a piece that adds style to your home. You may not be feeling like 1990 anymore, so how about replacing it with something more 21st century? Replacing faucets requires little plumbing knowledge, though you should have some, and can be a rewarding small investment. It's likely you'll also save on water going forward.
7. Re-evaluate Your Home Safety
Not all improvements need to be for aesthetic reasons. Safety is an important consideration as well. If you have old smoke detectors that require the battery to be changed every six months, it's time to consider upgrading them with detectors that double as carbon monoxide detectors. Smart smoke detectors on the market today come equipped with batteries that have a lifespan of seven to ten years.
And how about outdoor security? Cameras are becoming increasingly affordable and can be placed at every entry point of your home. Depending on your needs, you camera can alert your smartphone every time someone approaches your home. They can also store several days worth of video and photos, which are triggered by movement.
8. Update the Wall Trim
Depending on the architectural style of your home, adding some crown molding and wainscoting can add an element of sophistication and flare to your home. Both of these materials are easy to install. If you can measure and have access to a power saw, you have the ability to update your walls.
Once you have your new trim up, add a coat of paint, and voila! Your living room or dining room will look like it went through a major renovation.
For crown molding, be sure to choose the appropriate width for your wall height. For 8-foot ceilings you can go up to 6 inches. 9-foot ceilings look great anywhere between a few inches up to 7.5 inches, while 10-foot ceilings can use molding up to 8-inches wide. The wider the molding, the bolder the statement it makes.
Being cooped up indoors during the winter has its advantages. It's a great time to focus on the interior of your home while during the spring and summer you can focus on the exterior. Most of these suggestions may take a few hours or only require a weekend with little investment. So, what are you waiting for? Dress down, grab your tool bag, and get to work.
