Best Home Improvement Projects for Winter

Free Consultation

First Name*

Last Name*

Phone*

Email*

Zip Code*

Tell Us About Yourself

The wind blows, the snow falls, and the temperature drops. Winter is here. For some people, winter presents a wonderful time to get outside and enjoy sledding, skiing, and snowboarding. Maybe a little ice skating is on your agenda, or maybe you simply love a walk through a quiet, snow-covered local park.

There are plenty of winter activities, but let’s face it, compared to summer, there a lot of time spent inside. Eventually, you are stuck staring at the walls, trying to keep yourself busy.

What to do…what to do?

It may surprise you to learn that winter is actually a great time for home improvement projects and remodeling. Some projects, like painting walls or installing a backsplash, are fast and affordable, while other winter projects, like renovating a basement, can completely rejuvenate your entire home.

If you’re ready to chase away cabin fever, here are the best projects that you can complete this winter.

What Can’t Be Done in Winter?

Before we talk about what can be done, let’s eliminate the projects that are difficult or simply impossible in winter. Essentially, anything that involves outdoor construction, especially projects that require digging, will be off limits. Because the ground is frozen, building a deck, patio, or home addition will need to wait for spring. Some projects, such as installing a backup generator or new outdoor air conditioning unit will also be faster and simpler when warm temperatures return.

Best Home Projects for the Winter

Declutter the Home

Any home project should start with decluttering the home. While we all hear about spring cleaning, winter decluttering and organizing, will give you more time to enjoy the warm weather and will make any spring projects you tackle less of a challenge.

Painting

Have you been sitting inside staring at the faded walls for a month? Winter is a great time to brighten up the house with a fresh coat of paint. Winter blues can be cast aside with a coat of yellow, green, blue or even a small dash of red. Just be sure to have good ventilation while painting a room and consider using a non-toxic Latex paint.

Add Insulation to the Attic

To be honest, attic insulation should have been added before winter set in, but as the saying goes, better late than never. If your attic leaks warm air, a coat of spray or rolled insulation can make a big difference in your future heating bills.

Insulate the Pipes and Spigots (Hose Bibs)

Exterior pipes and spigots should be thoroughly wrapped with foam insulation to ensure they stay in good quality condition or replaced with frost free units whenever the temperatures drop below freezing. Frozen water in the pipes can cause bursting and cracks, and fixing the potential damage is much more expensive than purchasing a few tubes of insulation, or switching these out.

Install a Programmable Thermostat

According to Energy Star, a programmable thermostat, when properly used, can save roughly $180 in energy costs every year. By setting the thermostat to allow for lower temperatures during the day, when no one is home, then raising the temp in the afternoons, you use less energy while maintaining comfortable temperatures when you need them.

New Kitchen Cabinets

Winter is a great time to remodel any interior space, including the kitchen. However, if you want a practical improvement project that makes a significant impact on the home, then installing new kitchen cabinets is a wise choice. Kitchen cabinets rest at eye level and take up a large portion of the visual space, so adding new cabinetry can be like adding a whole new kitchen.

Install Backsplashes

A backsplash is a fine detail that makes a large impact on the overall style and appearance of kitchen cabinets & countertops. Backsplashes can be used to add color to an otherwise neutral space, or complement and enhance the existing design. These winter projects are also easy for amateurs to perform and can often be completed in less than a day by a qualified professional.

Revisit the Flooring

Is it time for new flooring in your home? Wouldn’t you rather have the new flooring completed in winter, long before spring mud and dirt becomes a common sight? Installing floors in winter is a smart choice, but beware of salt and ice on your new flooring.

Finish the Basement

If your basement is going unused, you are wasting valuable space. Don’t let your basement become a permanent storage area, get moving on a basement conversion this winter and you’ll have more comfortable space for yourself and your family.

Add New Lighting Fixtures

In most cases, this is a project that you should leave to a qualified professional. Lighting can make a huge impact on the character and style of a room, making even the most mundane space appear elegant and stylish. While you can simply add new lamps or even replace the lamp shades, a qualified electrician can install new can lighting, a decorative chandelier, or place dimmer switches in the kitchen, dining room, or living room.

Remodel the Closet

Does your closet resemble a disorganized high school locker? Perhaps a bit of remodeling can be done to give your closet better organization and functionality. A remodeling professional can add new storage shelves and hanging poles to give you better use of your closet space. If you have a walk-in closet with enough space, you could add a built-in ironing board (with nearby outlet), a chair for putting on socks and shoes, or a mirror for reviewing your style, and maybe even an island.

Upgrade the Secondary Bathroom

When most people talk about bathroom remodeling, they often refer to the master bathroom. However, if you want a slightly simpler project that can keep you busy this winter, perhaps it’s time to review the common-area bathroom or guest bathroom. You could install new flooring, replace a countertop or add a new backsplashes, or redo the walls. If you want to keep it simple, you could simply place new decor and lamps on the countertops and floors.

Expert Help for Any Winter Home Project

Any of these simple winter projects can make a powerful impact on your entire home.

If you want professional remodeling help with any or all of these tasks, give us a call at 609-208-9993. We’ll help you get the expertise you need to rejuvenate and revitalize your home!