Best Winter Home Improvement Projects

The winter time is an underappreciated time to work around the house; while there are lots of exterior projects that are more comfortable to achieve in Spring or Fall, diving into a fully-indoor project in the winter is honestly a nice reprieve from the quieter, slower season’s normal rhythm.

Whether you intend to wait a few years before moving to a new house, see this as your forever house, or are about to sign with a top real estate agent↗, making an effort to work on home improvement in the winter is wise.

Consider one or more of these projects which make your home look better and can even save you money in the long run.

Project 1: Evaluate Seals and Cracks Around Windows and Doors

When the weather is cool, it is easier to identify the main sources of heat and cooling loss in your home. Evaluate each door and window in your home in order to determine whether its weatherstripping and sealing are no longer fully doing their jobs. If the situation is bad enough, or the installation was faulty to begin with, you may be able to get windows and doors replaced and save enough in the long run from a more tightly-sealed window or door to pay back part of the cost!

Project 2: Get Indoor Paint Done Using Low-VOC Options

In the past, highly ventilated spaces were needed to do indoor painting, but these days if you have a house fan, a ceiling fan, and perhaps a few windows cracked, many indoor paints are safe to use. If you worry that even Low-VOC paints↗ are generating too many fumes in the winter, check the forecast for the next fairly mild day, cut the heat for the duration of the project, and open those windows up: in addition to airing out the paint fumes, you’ll let out stale, stuffy winter home air.

Project 3: Evaluate and Insulate Areas of Your Home That Lose Heat

Much like evaluation of seals and cracks, most homes benefit from a little more insulation. You can work with a professional to analyze what the main insulation deficits are in your home, or DIY additional insulation in your attic and basement if you have the skills to do so. If you’re new to insulation, an insulation consultant can give some valuable tips for the type of insulation↗ that will make the biggest impact and any steps you need to take, like reducing humidity in a crawlspace, before tackling this project.

Project 4: Make the Transition to Energy-Efficient Lighting and Other Updates

While it is possible to slowly switch out bulbs as each one burns out, many people find it satisfying to change their entire home from incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs all at once. These types of bulbs tend to pay for themselves, since they shine brightly for a fraction of the electricity needs of an incandescent bulb. Other energy efficient updates will make you happy if you see a lowered heating bill out of the bargain; things like windows with SmartSun Glass can make a difference in both the natural light in a home and also in the level of heat that escapes through the windows. Every day there are new energy efficiency updates, and considering their payback period and the appeal they add for a future home sale↗.

Writer: Laura Leavitt

Laura Leavitt is a freelance writer and editor in Ohio. She has written about real estate and home-related topics since 2017.