DIY Home Improvements to Implement this Fall
With everyone spending more time at home in 2020, home improvement might be on your mind. Fall is an excellent time to think about projects that will not only help your home look its best, but get it prepared to brave chilly weather. While you’ll want to hire an expert for major projects like repairing a roof, there are many fall upgrades that you can handle yourself. Here are some DIY ideas for budgeted home improvement tips that you can even take care of in one weekend.
Assess Your Yard
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With the change of seasons, it’s a good idea to address the green around your home. Does a hedge need to be trimmed? How are your trees looking? You’ll want to check on their health and trim back any overgrown branches — if you aren’t sure, hire an expert, to avoid any unforeseen issues during the thick of winter. What about the weed situation? If you’ve pulled the weeds and find that not much is left, fall can be a great time to plant shrubs.
Upgrade for Holiday Guests
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Fall and winter might include holiday gatherings, and a high traffic area of your home like a guest bathroom, or your living room, might be one place for a DIY upgrade. Rather than simply going for a fresh coat of paint or updated bathroom accessories, hardware, or pillows for a couch, a fun weekend project can be adding wallpaper to a single wall, or even more. Make sure you go with a moisture-resistant wallpaper for the bathroom. You might be surprised by how kitchen and bathroom improvements like adding wallpaper can add some life to your home, and even give it a new look.
Clean Gutters and Downspouts
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The last thing you want is to have to deal with clogged gutters and downspouts during a rainstorm. By removing any unwanted debris in fall during leaf drop, your home will be better equipped to handle winter storms. If you are finding it hard to get motivated, remember that clogged, overflowing gutters can seep into your home’s foundation, leading to bigger problems than just unwanted water flow around your home.
Increase Energy Efficiency
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A cozy home is winter-ready and reducing air leakage is a way to make it not only warmer, but more energy-efficient. Take a look at your doors and window frames for a weakened caulking and weather stripping project. These are two simple air-sealing techniques, caulk is generally used for cracks and openings around door and window frames, and weather-stripping is used to seal doors and windows that open. If they look cracked it means it’s time for this upgrade. This is one of the top DIY home improvement tips that add value.
Check Plumbing Insulation
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Especially if you live in a particularly cold climate, frozen or bursting pipes can be a concern for your home in winter. For cold water pipes, insulation helps them stay cool. For warm water pipes, insulation will keep the heat in between the water heater and the faucet. If insulation is looking worn, home Depot has a DIY video that can help you tackle this project to avoid plumbing issues that might come up down the road.
Assess your home and make a list of your top priorities to get it winter ready, then plan a weekend for any of these DIY fall home renovation projects.
Author: Mackenzie Kirk
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