Winter Remodel Projects

Though most remodeling and construction projects are slated for the spring and summer, there are many advantages to winter home improvement. Most subcontractors, architects, and laborers have greater availability, and sometimes even lower rates. Manufacturers of lumber, windows, cabinetry, appliances, etc often raise their prices in the spring, and you can take advantage of lower materials costs in the off season. It's also often faster and easier to secure permits from the city during the winter, and if you need to be out of the house for a few days you can always take a long vacation.

If you want to take advantage of these benefits and you don't want to wait another six months to jumpstart your remodeling, here are a few project ideas that are wonderfully suited to winter.

Insulating

Insulating and winterizing your home during fall is a must. If you've been too focused on your home's cosmetic projects all summer, now is the time to forget about curb appeal and focus on your home's bones. If you insulate your home, either by adding an attic, wall, or basement insulation, replacing your doors or windows, or by closing ducts and plugging gaps, you will save money on heat this winter and do yourself a favor for every future year. Insulation can reduce the cost of your heating (and cooling) bill by over 40 percent, and will pay for itself within five or six years.

Basement Remodel

Remodeling your basement is not only easy to do in the colder months, but you'll be glad you did when you and your family have a new indoor space when it's too cold to go outside. A refinished basement is the perfect substitute for your yard, and makes a great winter rec room or home gym.The best part will be how much warmer a refinished basement will make your home. Homes lose the a tremendous amount of heat through their basements, and insulating and remodeling your basement will keep in the heat.

Hardwood Floors

This is another key indoor project that's perfect for the winter. Because the air is cooler and much less humid, the boards will not swell, gap, or warp in the heat, meaning that they will lay more evenly and easily. The adhesive will also dry more quickly. Most importantly, though, your new flooring will be a great insulator, especially if you choose to install radiant heat while your floor is torn up. Every homeowner with forced air dreams about converting to the heated under-floor tubing that turn the whole house into a radiator, but few people are willing to tear up their whole floor to do it. If you're already laying hardwood, install radiant heat at the same time, and you will have the coziest winter of your life.

If you're thinking about doing any fall or winter home improvement projects, call UBuildIt to talk about our remodeling program, that will help you achieve exactly the tools you need to achieve your dreams and without the overhead costs of contractors.