The winter doldrums can impact everyone, even those who live in states with relatively temperate climates like North Carolina and South Carolina. North Carolina, in particular, can experience cold, snowy winters in certain areas, and even South Carolinians have to deal with fewer daylight hours and chillier mornings when wintertime sets in.
One of the best ways to combat the winter blues is to keep busy around the house. Figuring out which renovation projects can successfully be done in cold weather, though, can be a challenge. Look no further than this guide for help! Here, you’ll find a full slate of winter-weather remodeling projects that will keep you occupied until Spring arrives in the Carolinas.
New windows and window treatments
While you shouldn’t install replacement windows in your house yourself — that’s a job best left to the professionals like the team at Hatch Homes — you can devote yourself to finding the perfect window treatments for your new energy-efficient window panes and frames. Many people don’t realize that the types of window treatments they choose can actually have a major impact on overall residential energy efficiency. Thick blackout shades, for example, will prevent significantly less heat from escaping than sheer curtain panels are able to.
Renovate your kitchen
The kitchen is, as they say, “the heart of the home.” During the winter months, many people find themselves spending more time than usual cooking and baking. This affords homeowners an ample amount of time to think about everything they’d like to change about how their kitchens look and function. Fortunately, there’s no time like winter to start doing some kitchen renovations!
Kitchen remodeling is notoriously expensive, so it’s important not to bite off more than you chew for a single winter season. If you don’t have the time or money to overhaul your space from the ground-up, there are simple updates that can change the entire look of a room. Installing a new backsplash or painting the walls, for instance, are both great winter kitchen DIY projects.
Insulate your attic
As with window installation, the actual insulating of your attic space should be done by local professionals. Once the insulation has been put in, though, the fun can begin! Attics can be transformed into a functional living space for the modern age. If, for example, you now have kids learning from home, creating an attic schoolroom is a great idea. You could also turn it into a playroom, a craft area, or whatever else fits your lifestyle!
Research siding options
Even though winter temperatures don’t make it the most ideal time of year to install siding in most regions, it is a great time to research various siding options for Spring. When warmer weather rolls around, you can quickly hire a contractor and beat the warm-weather rush.
Fiber cement siding is an option many homeowners still aren’t aware of and should seriously consider. Among its many benefits, this durable type of siding resists strong winds and has flame-retardant properties.
Hopefully, these ideas will help you avoid seasonal sadness this winter and, remember before you know it, the springtime sun will shine on North Carolina and South Carolina again!