7 Practical Home Renovation Projects You Can Do This Winter
With winter just around the corner, it is time to prepare for some practical home renovation projects for the outdoors. Since you’ll be spending more hours at home, you can devote time to improving your home and increasing its value. While it may not seem like it, winter is a great season for home renovation projects. Below, you can find a list of 7 practical ideas you can do this winter.
1. DECLUTTER AND ORGANIZE THE SPACE
Decluttering is not just for spring. In fact, you should probably do a thorough declutter every season to make sure your house, garden, and backyard are properly organized all the time. And, with all the extra time spent at home during the winter months, you can strategically declutter and organize everything.
Whether you use your backyard for relaxation, gardening, or entertainment, it’s much better when space is properly organized. If you have a garage or a shed, make sure you bring in all your gardening and landscape tools from outside to protect them from snow.
Keep your winter tools handy, as you will need them during winter. If you live in an area with hard winters, the snow shovel and ice melt should be easy to grab at any given point.
2. REVAMP THE DOORS
You don’t have to renovate the entire house or backyard to get a fresh feel. Sometimes refurbishing small sections of your property can have the same impact. For instance, you can use an electric-powered router to recess door hinges or create patterns and designs.
Repainting the entry door, garage door, or shed door is a fast and easy way to improve their appearance. Paint them in a dark color for an elegant look or a bright color to add a pop of color. Changing doorknobs is also a great way to revamp exterior doors.
3. COZY UP THE OUTDOOR SPACE
You can winter-proof your outdoor space to be able to spend time outdoors even in wintertime. There are several different ways to heat outdoor spaces. You can opt for a fire pit, an outdoor fireplace, or outdoor heaters. Or a combination of those.
If you have an indoor fireplace, you know how easily fireplaces become the focal point of a room. The same thing happens with outdoor fireplaces – they will turn into the focal point of the landscape design. However, outdoor fireplaces are also practical and they are fun for family gatherings.
Fire pits are versatile and just as impactful and practical as outdoor fireplaces. So if a fireplace doesn’t sound tempting, maybe a fire pit will. Moreover, building a fire pit is a project you can complete in a weekend. If not, you have numerous heater options to choose from - portable heaters, large propane heaters, or hanging heaters.
4. HARDSCAPING
Hardscaping doesn’t necessarily sound like a winter activity, however, the soil is looser and easier to work with during winter so why not? Plus, if you install hardscape projects before winter ends, you’ll have more time for relaxation during spring.
You don’t have to focus on large projects like installing a patio but you can definitely focus on smaller projects like adding aggregates and decorative edging or building a stacked-stone wall. These small projects can be completed in a few hours or a couple of days maximum so, if you check the weather report in advance, you can easily complete them during sunny winter days.
5. ADD INSULATION
Insulating the house during winter is probably the most practical home renovation project to consider. Good insulation will not only make your home more comfortable during winter time but also lower your utility bills.
Windows, entry doors, basement, or attic doors can all be insulated during winter. If you have old windows, you should probably consider replacing them since they usually have terrible insulation and there’s nothing you can really do to make things better.
Another insulation project that most people overlook is pipes insulation. During cold winter months, pipes can burst and cause flooding. When you properly insulate pipes, you protect your home from expensive renovations.
6. LIGHT THE OUTDOORS
With winter days being shorter than summer days, you need to pay more attention to outdoor lighting. That being said, there are so many different lighting fixtures you can use outdoors that you begin to prefer nighttime and evenings to daytime.
Fairy lights are the best way to light up the outdoors and create a magical atmosphere at the same time. You can place them in trees or bushes, dangle them from the ceiling of your porch, attach them to the exterior walls of the house, or wrap them on the porch structure or any other structure in the backyard.
Lanterns are also great for the outdoors. These versatile lighting fixtures can light up the stairway or you can use them to create pathways in your backyard. They come in different shapes, sizes, and colors so you can create a magical outdoor winter décor using them.
7. HOME ADDITIONS & ATTIC JOBS
When the ground is frozen and dry, it is easier to make structural changes than when the ground is humid and muddy. Thus, winter home additions are preferred to spring additions, especially during a moderate winter. Dry winters are even better because they provide contractors with plenty of time for new constructions.
Attic jobs are also great winter renovation projects. While technically the attic is not an outdoor space, the attic is too hot or too humid for renovation during summer months. If you want to turn your attic into a living space, winter is the perfect season. Or maybe you plan to renovate your garage. Colder and drier months are perfect for this project too.
FINAL THOUGHTS
We all spend more time at home during wintertime so why not spend that time more productively and revamp the home? With these simple and practical home renovation projects, you can increase energy efficiency, turn the backyard into a cozy winter gathering place, and prepare for warmer months.
Kristen Chapple: Kristen Chapple is the editor and content creator at woodworknation.com. She is passionate about sustainability in style and interior décor with a soft spot for DIY projects. Find her at kristen@kristenchapple.com.