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If you live on the east coast, you just got through the major snowstorm that swept across the region last weekend, with some areas even getting over two feet of snow. Hopefully by now, you have finished your shoveling and are able to get in and out of your house without much trouble. In the winter, you may feel compelled to just stay inside during your downtime as a way to limit your interaction with the cold weather. While you’re spending all of that time inside, it may be wise to use this as an opportunity to complete some home-improvement projects, all of which will especially come in handy if you plan on selling your house in the spring.
Seeing as it’s winter, the first thing that probably comes to mind when considering home improvement is your heating. One thing you should think about installing in your home is a programmable thermostat. This will also save you money on your heating bills, and it’s also a very convenient device because you’re able to program the thermostat so it uses less heat when you’re not a home. Some models even allow you to program the thermostat from your smartphone or tablet, so if you want to make any adjustments, you’ll be able to do so right at your fingertips.
When focusing on heating, you may also want to consider improving the insulation of your house, a task that won’t leave your wallet weeping and will make your home greener. Because heat rises, you want to make sure you outfit your home so it can combat the cold temperatures. You can do so by placing rolls of insulation in your attic, basement, and any little crawl spaces you may have. The last thing you want during the winter is heat escaping from your house, so make sure to place an adequate amount of insulation in the appropriate parts of your home in order to reach full effectiveness.
If the winter is going to be influencing you to stay inside, you’ll want as much room as possible in which to move around, so you should take some time to de-clutter your home. Ever since your last foray into spring cleaning, you have probably accumulated more stuff you may not need in your home. In this case, go through your closets, basement, attic, and any other storage spaces you may have, and then divide everything up by what you want to keep, discard, and donate. Not only is this an easy home-improvement project to get done while stuck inside, but it will also give you a jump start on this year’s spring cleaning!
In terms of redecorating, you may be struck with the desire to give your walls a fresh coat of paint. Since you’ll probably be spending a lot of time behind the walls of your house, you might as well give them a burst of color to combat the white and grey of the winter season. I know you won’t be having any windows open during the season, so you may be worried about the paint fumes sticking around inside. But, as long as the paint is waterborne and environmentally friendly, there will be very few fumes. And, if you don’t want to go the painting route, but still want to spruce up your walls, you can go for some wallpaper. Wallpaper comes in all sorts of designs, and choosing the right design can certainly add some liveliness to your house in the dead of winter.
Although the days start to become longer at the start of winter, you still have the sun setting before 5:30 for most of the season, decreasing the amount of natural light that comes into your house. To brighten up your home during the early nightfall, think about adding some more lights in your house. If you’re spending a lot of time in your home during the winter, you should have it light enough so you can enjoy the surroundings of your house. For me, one of the most relaxing things to do during our coldest season is to unwind in a well-lit living room, so add enough lighting that will be comfortable for when you return home from a day at work and want to take it easy on the couch. Of course, you’ll feel even better if you install some LED lightbulbs. Yes, they do cost more than regular bulbs, but they last longer and use less energy, so you’ll be saving money in the long run.
If you want to get some remodeling done, consider doing it to your kitchen or bathroom. Just like painting your walls, a task such as this will take quite a bit of time, which will help take your mind off the incessant cold and winter precipitation outside. Thinking about and choosing the different paint colors, tile designs, and appliances that can be included in your kitchen and/or bathroom can be a lot of fun and will get you stoked to finally begin bringing your designs to life. Once you’re finished with your remodeling project, you can celebrate the fact that when spring rolls around and all of the snow has melted, you can shift your focus to sprucing up the outside of your home for the warmer weather.
Although winter is about halfway through, you still have plenty of time to do some worthwhile home-improvement projects that will benefit your house for the rest of the season. During this time when you don’t want to go outside unless it’s necessary, doing some of these tasks around your house will keep you active and occupied, which is something we all need when confined indoors during these cold months. Just decide what you want to get done, and then start working!
To learn more about Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty, visit their website and Facebook page, and make sure to “Like” their page. You can also follow them on Twitter.
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