The most significant improvements are the small ones you can do without stepping outside. This winter, avoid the cold weather and still upgrade your home by completing these five basic but beneficial winter home improvement projects, and your home will look and function better way before spring cleaning.
1. Paint That New Color
Most homeowners have a vision of how each room in their home should look. Make that vision come true by painting your walls a new color, which is a great home improvement step to take during the winter. All you need to start this DIY project is a can or two of the paint. When your daily schedule slows down and you have a quiet, snowy Saturday on your hands, break out the paint cans.
2. Add Attic Insulation
When outdoor temperatures cool, your heating unit has to work harder to regulate your home’s warmth. Don’t let your electric bill ruin the holiday season. Instead, add some extra insulation to your attic and look for a change in your next monthly statement. Since the additional insulation keeps the heat in during the winter and contains outdoor heat in the summer, it’s useful all year round.
Source: Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
3. Grease Your Garage Door
Older garage doors open and shut slowly because they don’t often receive proper care. Make a point to grease your garage door to make it more efficient and limit how much cold air flows in when you need access. It’s an effective winterizing strategy for a part of the house many people often overlook.
4. Seal Household Cracks
Stand by your doors, windows and vents, and feel around the edges. Does a tiny flow of cold air come in from outside? As your home ages, cracks open up and let the breeze in. During the winter, gusts of wind can regularly enter your home. In the summer, it becomes prey to insects that want to share your air conditioning. Take a moment this winter to check for cracks and seal them with caulk. Any task that saves you money and keeps the bugs out is always a good idea.
5. Schedule an HVAC Inspection
Think about the last time you requested an inspection for your HVAC unit. Regular maintenance should happen once each year to keep your system running properly. Your heating unit might work overtime to push heat through your home if you haven’t cleaned and inspected it, which is why a call to an HVAC professional will reduce your energy costs. Schedule your appointment as early in the winter as you can so that you get the most efficient use out of your heater.
Look Around Your Home
If you can’t decide where to start, look around your home. While you might need to seal a few cracks, repaint a room or spend five minutes greasing your garage door, these quick projects will help you in the long run. Once you check off each item on your home improvement to-do list, you’ll have more time to decorate for the holidays and enjoy time with family.
AUTHOR: KACEY BRADLEY
Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Guides for Brides, Hotel Online and more.
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