The Five Home Improvement Projects You Should Do Before The Year Ends

Home improvement projects are constantly circulating through friend groups, social media sites, and personal blogs. Homeowners across the United States love to incorporate new and useful updates and modernizations into their properties whenever they can. U.S. News & World Report suggests that certain home improvement projects surge in popularity during the spring and summer. This makes the colder months that come just before the end of the year the perfect time to find great bargains on both professional services and DIY supplies for your own projects.

Improving the landscape of your living space can benefit you and your family in a number of crucial ways. For a start, home renovations make for a more vibrant and energetic household. Reinvigorating the interior or outdoor space that you spend so much time in can produce immensely positive energy throughout the home. This translates into a more fulfilling lifestyle and greater enjoyment more broadly in all that you do. Consider these five key areas of home improvement this year in order to get the most out of your home as the weather approaches the winter months.

One of the easiest projects to improve your home is to repaint the interior walls. Just about any homeowner can tackle interior painting as a DIY project. Further, Popular Mechanics reports that, although painting requires planning and careful preparation, it remains a relatively simple task that doesn't require any special tools or skills. Repainting the interior of your home is a great way to revitalize the energy in the property. Whether you're focusing on one area, such as the living room, or the whole home, painting is a great way to get creative and transform the space of your property. Paint dulls over time and requires routine touch-ups. It's a good idea to repaint the interior of your home at least once every three to five years, notes PaintRite Pros. 

Repainting your home is something that can be done as a family, and so the whole process of changing the dynamics of this indoor space can be a powerful bonding experience as well as a physical improvement to your home with a lasting impact. There aren't many changes that you can make that are quite as potent as an update to your home's color palette. Tackling this project won't eat up a huge amount of your time, and can be a great way to start the new year afresh.

The home office is a feature that has recently made its way into many American homes. While a certain volume of the workforce may be used to working at home, the coronavirus pandemic has revolutionized the way the average worker thinks of their commute and workspace – McKinsey & Company reports an uptick of 25% in the total workforce contributing from a home office. Many people are finding themselves in a state of flux when it comes to their office. Out of necessity, workers have set up temporary home offices that would serve their needs. Now, however, many homeowners are considering making this change more permanent.

Establishing a permanent base to work from home is the best way to ensure that your productivity remains at a high level. Adding the finishing touches to a home office is a great option when it comes to finding a new home improvement project to focus on. As well, completing this task sooner rather than later is always a good idea because it will give you the benefits of an efficient workspace with immediate effect. Tackling the home office can be as simple as incorporating a few decorative elements, or as widespread as updating the furniture and essential devices that you use on a daily basis.

Spending time outside is a favorite pastime for many families. Outdoor spaces provide the comfort of nature and a unique backdrop that is constantly changing with the weather and seasons. Many homeowners make use of a grill or some other cooking layout in their backyard space. Others maintain luxurious pools and a raft of equipment best suited for relaxation and gatherings with family and friends. If your outdoor space is lacking in some of the basic essentials that make for a comforting and enjoyable environment, then tackling outdoor renovations during these slower, winter months can give you the jump start on the spring season that you need.

Making structural changes outside during the winter is great because it allows you to enjoy your existing space to its fullest while the weather remains comfortable. Then it gives you a jumping-off point to make essential changes like the installation of new decking, garden layout changes, or the option to bring in new furniture and relaxation pieces. Making changes outside is something that every homeowner should do on a regular basis. Keeping this space fresh and exciting will help promote greater activity and overall wellness for everyone in the home. Healthline reports that time spent outside is immensely beneficial for heart and cardiovascular health, as well as providing a potent source of stress reduction. Prioritizing outdoor space is therefore a critical update.

Modernizations in the kitchen can also make for an impressive change to your quality of life and the general layout of your home. The kitchen is a space of great utility. Roughly 70% of homeowners reportedly cook at least three times per week, according to Statista. Therefore, a well-designed kitchen is a crucial element in any modern home. Your kitchen serves as a culinary canvas that will help inspire and facilitate the creation and consumption of food that you love. Sharing a great meal with loved ones is an experience that's often second to none. But an old or ill-fitting kitchen design that doesn't facilitate your needs very well can diminish the shared experience in a substantial way.

Changing the countertop to include a luxury granite option, installing large and uplifting tiles on the floor, or modernizing your pantry storage system can make for a major boost in productivity and atmosphere within this part of the home. As well, a kitchen isn't just a space for cooking and eating: Newsweek notes that Americans spend over an hour each day in this part of the home. Many people find that the kitchen serves as a place of conversation and gathering, and the kitchen table may be the perfect area for working on homework with children or even planning out your next home improvement project as a family. 

Finally, a great option for any home improvement project, especially during the winter months when sunlight hours are at their lowest, is the establishment of sustainability measures. Adding solar panels to the roof of your home is a simple yet highly effective means of reducing your carbon footprint and slashing your energy bill at the same time. Installing solar panels can be somewhat costly, but using a solar energy grant or other incentive program designed to help homeowners make this switch can ease the burden substantially.

Once you've added this new measure of sustainability to your property, you'll start to see the benefits immediately. Reducing your reliance on traditional sources of electricity and heating can make for a more environmentally conscious home and one that you can feel good about as a result. As well, it's well documented that solar panels quickly pay for themselves. Solar Reviews reports that it will typically take just nine to twelve years for solar panels installed on your property to hit a break-even cost. With the installation of sustainable design elements that can help keep money in your pocket and reduce your dependence on external sources, you can bring this element into your daily life with ease.