Many homeowners choose fall and winter as the best time to tackle home remodeling and improvement projects because the weather is cooler. But, some homeowners struggle to determine which projects to handle as DIY tasks and which to leave to the professionals.
The truth is, you need to assess your skill and comfort levels and then hire a contractor for those that you don’t think you can tackle on your own, either because you don’t know how to do them or you are afraid that it is unsafe for you to do so. Our tips for home improvement projects during fall and winter will help you make some decisions for your home as the weather turns cool.
1. Landscaping Projects
Homeowners typically love decorating for fall with pumpkins, mums, and other touches that add vivid color to your home to match the changing foliage. Your decorations will look even better when you tackle some of the landscaping projects you put off because of the heat and humidity of summer. For example, you should thin out overgrown perennials and remove dead and dying annuals to prepare your garden for spring.
Planting mums in the empty annual spots will help your fall flowers last longer and make your flower beds and landscaped areas look full throughout fall. Most homeowners also feel comfortable handling other fall landscaping projects such as trimming trees, removing overgrown shrubs and trees, and planting new trees and evergreens. If you plant this fall, consider the size of your space and layer trees and shrubs to make your yard look larger.
2. Painting Projects
As for more complex outdoor projects, such as repainting the exterior of your home, you may want to leave these projects to the professionals. You will be amazed at how a fresh coat of exterior paint spruces up your home, and you will appreciate your landscaping even more when it is in front of your freshly painted home. You may have chipped or flaking paint that needs to be scraped, sanded, and primed before you paint, and you may not want to take the time to do it yourself, or you may not feel comfortable climbing around on ladders to reach your upper stories.
This is when hiring a professional becomes a wise move. Professional house painters also have more experience than you, and they know which products to use, how to make the paint last longer, and have the right equipment to paint your home correctly in less time.
3. Remodeling Projects
Fall is an ideal time to tackle indoor home remodeling projects, such as a bathroom update, because the weather is cool and you can open your windows to provide ventilation for your projects without worrying about being unable to use your air conditioner or heat. Homeowners also choose to complete bathroom remodeling projects in the fall so they are complete before company arrives for the holiday season.
Because bathroom projects involve designing, measuring, plumbing, electrical work, and several stages from planning, to roughing-in, to finishing work, even the most stalwart of DIY homeowners opt to hire bathroom renovation contractors. The sheer complexity of bathroom projects makes homeowners realize they will be in over their heads if they attempt to do them on their own. Hiring a professional contractor to handle your bathroom remodel also saves you time and money because contractors know how to complete the project the right way the first time.
A bathroom remodel not only updates your home and gives you the space you desire for your lifestyle, but it also adds value to your home should you decide to sell it. Many homeowners who hire a contractor to remodel their bathrooms recoup a high percentage of the cost when they sell their homes.
Fall is an ideal time to tackle some of the home improvement projects you put off during the hot summer weather. Consider which landscaping, exterior painting, and remodeling projects will add value and aesthetic appeal to your home; then, determine which projects you safely can tackle yourself and which to leave to the professionals.
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