You might not typically think of winter as the best time for home renovations. Usually the warmer months are seen as the best time to start projects, and when fall comes, people are hurrying to finish things up before the snow flies. By the time spring rolls around, it’s time to clean out unwanted stuff and get ready for the next round of home improvement projects.
On the other hand, why write off an entire season? Home renovation is an important process for many homeowners. It represents a chance to improve quality of life and invest in your own property. If you limit yourself to pursuing renovations during warmer weather, you’ll miss a good part of the year.
Interior or exterior?
For obvious reasons, winter is going to be a better time for interior renovations. This depends on where you live, and during a mild winter, it’s certainly possible to achieve certain exterior renovations. In general though, most homeowners (and contractors, for that matter) find interior renovations much easier to accomplish.
What kind of projects are good for winter?
One of the most important things to take into account if you’re planning interior winter renovations is how long they’re going to take, and what kind of inconvenience they’re going to cause. It can certainly feel like “close quarters” when a contractor is working inside your home while the weather is cold.
Simple projects like painting, tiling, flooring, or installing new appliances are popular for this reason. They can be accomplished relatively quickly, with a minimum of inconvenience for the family.
Contractor deals
Another thing to consider while planning winter renovations is that contractors are often less busy this time of year, since a lot of homeowners don’t consider winter the best time to renovate. As a result, many contractors will offer special deals or discounts for projects during the winter months. You may want to ask contractors directly whether their rates will drop at all during the winter, or remain the same. This is a good chance to test the communication skills of a contractor, since this is going to be an important factor to the success of your renovation, no matter what time of year it’s undertaken.
Ask what can be accomplished
Questions of how much can be done for how much money, and how long it will all take, are important. It may be difficult to get answers over the phone. Some contractors (especially during winter months) are happy to make a house call and give you their advice and ideas directly. This is a good chance to get vital information and develop a rapport with a contractor — but make sure the visit is “no obligation” and don’t allow the contractor to push you into any agreement. The best contractors want your success as much as they want their own.
Make good use of the winter months!
Renovations don’t have to stop during winter months — in fact, with proper planning, it’s possible to achieve great results on winter renovations. That way, when winter is over and it’s time for spring cleaning, you’ll be ahead of the game and ready to tackled those outdoor projects. Good luck!