Property Improvement Ideas For the Winter Months
Improving your home this winter is a fantastic way of adding more value to your property. We find the cold months are the best time to start work. That is because prices are usually lower. Most companies have no choice but to offer great discounts because they know sales levels are going to drop. Other homeowners are spending all their cash on Christmas presents – so you could grab some real bargains. Considering all that, you probably need some advice to help you get started. The ideas listed on this page should serve to inspire you, but you don’t have to copy them outright.
Just take a look at your property and work out which changes are going to produce the best results. You will improve your home, and improve the attitude of your bank manager if you ever decide to sell. Contrary to popular belief, most people can undertake renovation work without professional assistance. You will save a lot of cash by following the DIY method and doing everything yourself. Employ the help of a friend for any heavy lifting to ensure you don’t spend this Christmas in bed with a pulled back muscle.
Install window shutters
A good set of window shutters could improve your home in many different ways. For instance, they are great for stopping drafts and making your property feel warmer at winter. They are also a burglary deterrent, and they can protect your windows from debris caused by extreme weather. For the best results, you’ll want to contact a specialist firm and get a personalised quote.
In some instances, the company concerned might visit your property and take measurements. They will then create custom shutters designed specifically for your home. You’ll usually pay a little more for that service, but it helps to ensure they fit properly. There are various designs from which you can select, and the final decisions are down to you.
Add solar panels
Adding solar panels to your home is a great move, even during the winter months. Depending on where you live in the world, they could save you a lot of money. You just need to choose the right scheme that helps you to get them cheaply. People who are living down under often experienced the clearest skies during the last few weeks of the year. That means your panels could feed a lot of electricity back into the grid. The best thing about most solar panel schemes is that you can make money from the energy firms. If you’ve created more electricity than you’ve used during a twelve-month period, they should send a cheque.
Just make sure you always read the small print carefully when selecting your scheme. Some allow you to get the panels for free, but you forfeit your right to payments. That means you get them on your roof now without having to spend anything. However, they will only provide free energy, and they’ll never help you to make a profit.
Remodel your bathroom
Remodeling your bathroom could be a fantastic move if you’ve had the same suite for more than five years. We all know how they can become dirty and damaged during over that length of time. As we said earlier, you can make some amazing savings at this time of the year. Retailers know consumers are spending so much cash on toys for Christmas that sales levels drop. So, you should see some great bargains in store. Also, it’s worth checking online auction websites for companies that have gone out of business. In most instances, they have to sell their stock to cover any outstanding debts. Most of them use auction websites because they’re simple to navigate.
Adding a shower to your bathroom is also sensible because it will help you to lower your water usage. We all know how expensive those bills can become when you have a large family. On top of that, a shower will mean people can get ready much more quickly in the mornings. There is nothing worse than waiting for someone to finish their bath when you need to brush your teeth and get off to work.
Remove the laminate and lay thick carpet
For the last few years, many people have chosen laminate as the best flooring solution for their home. While it might look stylish and upmarket, it tends to get very cold during the winter. Also, it can hurt your feet when you’re not wearing shoes due to the lack of padding. Ripping the laminate up and laying thick carpet could be the best thing you do this year. The carpet will help to make sure your home stays warm, and your family is comfortable. For the best deals, you’ll want to look online again.
Depending on the size of your living space, it might be possible to use offcuts. Just speak to the staff at your local carpet store and let them know the size of your budget. They should then try to find the best solution to your flooring issues. Just try to get something that comes with underlay, so your toes are as cozy as possible.
Consider a new fireplace
Most people will want to stay as warm as possible this winter. Coal fires are all but obsolete these days, but there are some fantastic alternatives. Visit your local specialist or look online to view the best products available. Adding a new fire to your property could mean you use less gas for the central heating this year. When all’s said and done, you should only need to heat one room at a time. Your family will spend most of their free hours on the sofas in front of the TV. So, a new fire and fireplace could be all you require.
Just take the time to do some reading on the subject. You need something that is going to pump out enough heat to warm your home without costing a fortune. There is no point using a fire for heating purposes if it is more expensive to run than your current solution.
Those property improvement ideas should help you to keep busy this winter. They should also add a lot of value to your home. Anyone who plans to sell next year will want to get started as soon as possible. The fact that you’ve added solar panels to the roof will make the property far more attractive to buyers. Also, it will reduce your energy costs moving forward. Don’t limit yourself to the suggestions on this page when it comes to improvements. Use your head, and look for concepts that suit your home.