Home Renovation Tips for Winter

Winter may seem like an odd time to start a renovation project, but without the lawn maintenance to attend to there can be a lot of spare time you can devote to an upgrade or two.  Instead of a snow day streaming your favorite series, plan on some changes, large or small, that will improve your home.

Kitchen

One of the more active rooms in the house, the kitchen can always use a bit of sprucing up.  One of the easiest and least expensive projects is changing out the drawer pulls, knobs, and handles on the cabinets.  Give the wood a little polish or paint touch up and you will find the winter blues receding.

With less humidity in the house, the paint will dry quicker than in the humidity of summer.  Check with paint stores about sales.

Extend your storage area by installing a pegboard on the wall.  If you place it correctly and securely, you can hang cutting boards, pots and pans, or other items.  Add a small shelf on top and you have additional storage for small items.

If you are up for a larger project, remove the wallboard between the studs and create a mini pantry.

Laundry Area

Give your laundry area a little TLC with a good cleaning and reorganization.  Add some hooks, shelves, bins and baskets.  Get a countertop to place over the sink or over the washer and dryer to fold clothes.  Install a fold-down ironing board (not necessarily to iron) but as another option for folding small stuff.

Appliances often go on sale in January, so watch the ads.

Accessories

Brighten the rooms with new or additional lamps.  Try a floor lamp for a small area.  Change out the light bulbs for LEDs for a more efficient lighting source and you won’t need to replace them as often, as well.

This is a good time to check the expiration dates on carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.  Most only last for five to seven years.

Look Up

Attics and crawl spaces are miserable to work in during the summer.  However, in the winter it is much more tolerable.  Consider converting some space into a small work area.  If you need to keep it as is, add some insulation since it does compress over time.

Bathroom

A bathroom renovation is a big project, but you can easily have faucets replaced for a small change that makes a big impact.

Carpets

It may be time to rent a grocery store carpet cleaner and tackle one room at a time.  If you decide it is time for a full replacement, check with your carpeting store to see what may be available.

While many of these ideas are something the homeowners can tackle themselves, it is also a good time to schedule a contractor.  Winter months are frequently less busy and you will be able to schedule the work at your convenience rather than when you can be worked in.  One of the best choices is Astaneh Construction.  Contact them here to get a free quote.