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With spring less than a month away now is the perfect time to embark on some great end-of-season, indoor projects to beat those lingering winter blues and get your house in shape before the warm weather comes and the flowers burst into bloom—and spending time stuck indoors will be the last thing on your mind.
Obviously you don’t want to undertake something too ambitious when your mobility is limited and it’s still too chilly to go outdoors whenever you want a break. So, you may have to balance what you can do easily over a weekend and what is more time consuming and demanding.
But that doesn’t mean you might not want to start thinking about undertaking bigger transformative projects when warmer weather arrives. After all, while you’re inside, take an honest look around at your habitat. Is there something bothering you that you have always wanted to change? A new kitchen? Another bedroom? A more inviting living room? A renovated basement for family entertainment? Maybe you can’t put your finger on it, but something just doesn’t seem right. Feel free to consult your friends at Alure Home Improvements to get inspired.
In the meantime, why not consider these:
Are you sick of winter grays? Bring some color into your home before the weather lulls you outside. Go to the paint store and bring home a color palette. Or take a fabric sample with you from a pillow or curtain or bed spread in the room you have in mind. See what the possibilities are as you try different combinations. Now is the time to go bold, because those tones can energize your home! At a minimum, your walls may just need a new coat of paint. If you have neutral colored walls, accents on the trim and molding could complement the bright look you’re after with your new decor. But don’t be too impulsive, because you’re going to be living in that space for a long time to come. You may get pretty sick of those orange walls sooner than you thought! To spark your imagination, you can consult websites, such as Pinterest, or talk to your friends at Alure Home Improvements. Just remember that if you paint indoors, you’re going to want to keep the windows open while the paint dries—and that might not be a good idea when it’s cold and windy outside.
Are your winter heating bills making you blue? There’s a dozen home improvements you can do now to save energy and money—and they’ll also help you cut costs when you turn your air conditioner on—yes, that time will come, too. You can count on it.
So, why not apply caulk around your windows and doors to seal up those cracks and holes? You’re keeping the warm air inside—and keeping out any critters thinking it’s time to come in from the cold. You might also want to seal around the heating ducts in your basement and attic. If you can, add or replace any weather stripping in the windows.
If you have tile or wood floors, put down some area rugs. They’ll create a layer of do-it-yourself insulation, which you’ll appreciate if you’re walking around barefoot.
Check out your electrical outlets, especially if they’re in the exterior walls of your house. If they’re cold to the touch, they’re letting in outside air. From your hardware store, you can buy outlet covers that you can easily install behind the front plate. You may need to shut the power off in that room to make the switch, but the process is simple and the energy savings are worth it.
If you have an open fireplace, you may want to install glass doors to close it off when it’s not in use. Warm air rises through the chimney—and there goes your money! So make sure you keep the flue shut after the fire has gone out.
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Here’s another simple tip: Insulate your attic door. You can purchase covers that are pretty easy to set up and remove when the weather warms up. If you don’t need access to the attic, then leave them up all year round to cut down on drafts.
If you don’t have storm windows for your home, you can still take steps to cut down on the cold. You can buy simple transparent covers that let you see in and out. Or you can add curtains, especially thick drapes, to seal in the warmth.
If your garage is part of your house, it’s a major source of cold air. If you can insulate the door to the garage, then do so. Maybe you can add a storm door. Or perhaps you can add a layer of plastic on the side of the door that faces the garage, anything to cut down on heat loss. Garage doors themselves are not insulated as a rule, so if you see any cracks or holes around the windows in the door, seal them up with caulk.
And if you don’t have the energy to do those tasks, try something simple when you’re spending time indoors: Clean out your closets and your basements. You may find forgotten treasures. At the least, you don’t need the clutter. More importantly, you’ll create space that will help you improve your life in more ways to come as you get a load off your mind. And, remember: Doing it now will give you more free time when spring comes along!
