Is your home in need of basic repair and/or renovation? Fall is the perfect time to maintain your home before the season changes. The good news is that many of these can be finished with a trip to the hardware store and a toolbox. Even so, many of these can be expensive, especially with a professional.
Renovation projects are almost impossible to complete during the winter. On top of that, it’s essential to avoid problems in certain areas of your home during an inconvenient time. That way, you can cozy up during the winter months instead of working outside in frigid temperatures.
Take advantage of the temperate weather and make your house as good as new! Here are some fall home improvement projects you can complete on a budget.
Re-paint Your Interior
Painting your interior is one of the simplest ways to give your home a fresh, new look. Re-painting your bedroom can be especially convenient during the fall season.
This can apply to any room, and supplies are usually inexpensive. You don’t need a professional to paint a home. A few buckets of your choice, a paintbrush, and some tape should be all you need.
Along with rooms in your home, you can repaint your interior trim. Over time, dirt and dust can leak into your home. By re-painting your trim or molding, you add a splash of color along with better protection.
Keep in mind trim painting can be a little challenging. Make sure you know what you’re doing and plan ahead before beginning the project.
Clean Your Carpets
Fall is the perfect time to carpet clean. It’s not too hot or humid, and the temperatures aren’t cold enough to prevent ventilation. As you clean your carpets, you can have all the windows open to get air flowing through your home. This won’t make it too cold or risk humidity getting in the way of the cleaning process.
This can also allow the carpet to dry faster. You won’t be in the house while the carpet is drying from the cleaning products. So, you can take the opportunity to spend time outside. Take your family for a hike or explore the fall colors while your carpet dries.
Insulation
If you’ve been noticing that your home is getting colder during the winter, it could be a case of bad insulation. This can naturally happen over time, especially in an older home.
As your insulation ages or gets damaged, pesky drafts seep into your home. This makes it a nuisance to the house temperature and your heating bill.
Prepare for the winter by re-evaluating your insulation. This can help keep warm air in and cold air out, making your home more energy-efficient. You can do this without professionals by using energy auditors. Use energy auditors between 10-14 inches to target areas around your house that may be prone to drafts.
Repair Windows and Doors
If you walk around your house and notice a draft in a specific area, a faulty window or door could be the culprit. During the winter, you may see frost building up on the window or cold gusts of air leaking into your home. This can reduce your home’s energy efficiency and make your house feel colder than it should be.
A toolbox and a few trips to the local hardware store should be enough to do basic repairs. With that said, make sure the person doing it knows what they’re doing. Adding more panes, spacers, or energy auditors can reduce drafts entering your home.
Paint Your Front Door
A change of color can add a bit of style to your home. In the case of a door, it can be one of the first things a guest or neighbor notices about your house. First impressions are essential, so a color change is a perfect way to add a bit more flair to your exterior decor.
Fall is the perfect time for exterior painting since it won’t freeze or dry too fast. The summer heat can be a lot to deal with while doing heavy-duty maintenance projects. With temperate temperatures that aren’t too cold but not too hot, painting can be a breeze.
Paint Your Exterior
As mentioned before, fall is the perfect season for exterior painting. The temperate climate makes it easy to engage in fall home renovation projects.
Your paint won’t freeze or prematurely dry, and you won’t have to worry about exposure to the elements. You also won’t need to worry about overheating from high temperatures during the summer.
Exterior painting is also an excellent insulation strategy. By giving your home an extra coat of paint, you cover up cracks or holes, bringing cold air into your home. Exterior painting prepares your home for the winter months and adds an extra bit of style to its design.
Landscape
It’s impossible to landscape your home during the winter, and the summer months can be extremely hot. This makes fall a perfect time to clean up your yard.
With the ideal temperatures, you can take advantage of the time to do some landscaping. There are plenty of lawn maintenance projects you can do that will make it look nice when spring comes back.
Rake up leaves or any minor debris from trees. Aerate your lawn and garden beds to keep them healthy. Winterizing and fertilizing your lawn’s greenery can prepare it for the upcoming seasons.
It’s essential to keep your lawn nourished, vibrant, and plentiful. When the winter’s over, your yard will be well maintained and beautiful.
Power Wash
After a full round of seasons, your house can build up a lot of grime from the outside. Thus, fall is the perfect time to consider power washing your home. Power washing can clear your siding of mold, mildew, or dirt. It can be good to give it a nice clean before heading into the winter season.
Professional power washers know the exact calibrations needed for a specific home. A professional set up certain power washing settings that won’t damage your home. If you’re planning on doing it yourself, consult with a professional to tell you the settings you should use.
Repair Your Roof
Your roof is the first line of defense against storms, temperature, or the elements. During the winter, it’s essential to have a working roof. Even the smallest holes can cause major damage to your home and the people in it. The last thing you want to be dealing with is a leaky roof or snow entering in from the outside.
With that said, you need to know what you’re doing if you’re repairing the roof yourself. It’s recommended that you have previous work experience with roof repair.
Otherwise, roof repair may be something you need to leave to the professionals. Even so, it will be a positive investment for safety and maintenance reasons.
Wood Repair
What separates fall from the rest of the seasons is its dryness. With less intense precipitation and temperatures, moisture won’t build up as easily. Spring and summer tend to be very moist, which damages your wood without you even noticing. Winter snow can make this worse or bring it to its breaking point.
Take advantage of fall to repair wood porches, siding, or window casings. It may seem inconvenient to take care of it now, but it could save you thousands later.
Never ignore sagging or visual damage in any wood properties around your home. If you notice something like this, contact a professional immediately.
Clean Your Gutters
A year’s worth of muck and grime can build up in your gutters. With the lack of intense heat or frigid temperatures comes the opportunity to clear them up.
As leaves continue to fall on your house, they also get into your gutters. To avoid any damage that could negatively affect your home, it’s important to stay on top of it.
The good news is that this is one of the most accessible home renovation projects. To clear your gutters, grab a pair of dishwashing gloves and a ladder.
If you’re not comfortable using a ladder or aren’t able to, some tools allow you to clean them from the ground. To prevent future blockages, buy a mesh that will trap damp dirt for you.
Re-Mulch Your Exterior Plants
If gardening is a hobby of yours, it’s essential to keep up with your plants. If this applies to your household, you know that more than anyone.
Unfortunately, during the winter season, you can’t do anything for your outdoor garden. Until spring comes around, you will have to do some gardening maintenance during the fall.
If you’ve been gardening long enough, you know that mulching should occur in late spring or early summer. This is usually a simple and quick process, so it won’t take up much of your time.
But, it’s sometimes not a bad idea to add an extra layer to improve their health. This will also help your garden stay healthy, strong, and vibrant during the next season.
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