Ideal home renovation ideas for the winter

While it’s fair to say summers in the UK are not always reliable, at least we can be sure of winter. But if you’re not feeling ready for months spent back indoors, why not consider freshening up your home on the inside? Contrary to popular belief, the winter months make the perfect time for interior renovations, with tradesmen often having better availability and cooler weather providing good conditions for projects such as painting. So, if you’re looking to boost the value of your home and help get next year off to a great start, we’ve pulled together a few home improvement ideas you could try.

A fresh lick of paint

Painting is the perfect interior project and can transform a space, from brightening up a dark room to adding a bold splash of colour. If you’re concerned about cool temperatures, a good guide is to keep the room at 15ºC or above and open doors and any windows a crack to keep air circulating. Luckily painting is a physical task so, if you’re doing it yourself, the activity should keep you warm in colder rooms.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a professional, then they will likely have special treatments and coating options to apply during the colder weather for painting or respraying projects, from walls and ceilings to cupboards and woodwork. In fact, in lower temperatures, paint often sticks better to the surface covered without drying too quickly, preventing peeling.

Brighten up dark days

If you’ve heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), then you know that shorter days and longer nights in winter can have an impact on our mood. So if a general lack of sunlight can cause our spirits to drop, it’s important to make sure we get as much light as possible to brighten up the winter months until the days lengthen again. Therefore a straightforward and uplifting way to boost both your home and your mood is to change light fittings or install new light fixtures to brighten up darker rooms, while adding a touch of style throughout the house.

Kit out your kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in a home so when you’re spending months cooped up inside, it can be the perfect time to breathe new life into this space. Some changes you can do really simply, with nothing but a screwdriver and a little time, from fitting a pegboard to widen your storage options to changing the handles and pulls on your cabinets. This simple trick can make your kitchen feel much fresher, from bringing in colour accents to adding visual points of interest.

Replacing your kitchen countertops and splashbacks will have an even bigger impact and is a great cold weather project, as all the work can be done without dashing back and forth from outside to in. Consider looking into getting this work done professionally as the winter is traditionally a slower time for tradespeople, meaning you could get the job done quickly at a good price.

Refresh forgotten spaces

The functional parts of a home often get overlooked when it comes to renovations, but improving spaces such as your utility can have an impact on both your day-to-day life and the overall value of your home. After all, a utility room is a key part of running your household where you carry out everything from the laundry to the washing up, and even store food. So giving it an overhaul can make the time spent on necessary tasks feel that little bit nicer. Consider redecorating the space with fresh paint or patterned wallpaper. Fit shelves to improve your storage and organise the room with laundry baskets and handy features such as a shoe rack. You might even find there are some good deals on appliances in the winter sales too.

Get started safely

By tackling some of the simpler projects in the winter, you’ll make it easier for any larger-scale renovations in future. But whatever home improvements you want to turn your hand to this winter, remember to consider insurance. If you’re not making big structural changes then the chances are you can go ahead without specialist renovation insurance – however, always check with your home insurer beforehand just to make sure. That way, you’ll know your new project is protected so you can get stuck in safely.