7 Inexpensive Home Improvements To Make Before Winter Hits

Depending on your lifestyle, winter is the season for either staying inside where it’s warm or heading where you can ski, sled, snowboard or just frolic in the snow. It’s not always the ideal time to take care of home improvements — especially those that require you to be outdoors. You also don’t want to be tackling projects that should have been done before the cold weather sets in, such as winterizing your home and yard.

If you need to tackle work projects around the house, the best time is before the weather turns cold.

Here are seven inexpensive home improvements to make before winter.

Also see six essentials retirees should purchase before winter.

One of the biggest worries during winter is that your pipes will freeze. You can prevent that from happening by taking some simple yet effective steps that require buying just insulation, caulk and weather stripping. Here’s what you should do, according to DisasterSafety.org.

• Insulate and seal attic penetrations, like ones for vents or plumbing, as well as any places that piping or wiring penetrates an exterior wall.
• Ensure pipes are insulated, especially in places that are hard to reach, like attics and crawl spaces.
• Caulk and seal windows and doors on the exterior and add weather stripping if necessary.
• Cover ventilated crawl spaces for the season.

Pressure washing can be done any time of year, but it might be best to do it before winter so you can wash off the grime that collected during spring, summer and early fall.

Pressure washer rentals are available at home improvement chains, such as Home Depot and Lowe’s, and typically cost less than $50 a day, according to Rocket Loans.

The ideal time to clean your gutters is after the final autumn leaves have fallen. You definitely want to do it before winter sets in because you don’t want ice clogging up your gutters in addition to leaves, branches and other debris.

You’ll need a ladder tall enough to access your roof, a good pair of work gloves and lawn bags to store the debris in. Make sure you take all necessary safety precautions before tackling this job.

As long as you’re on the roof, it’s a good idea to check it for damage and potential leaks. You’ll want to consider doing any roof repairs before it gets covered with snow.

You can secure loose shingles using roofing cement. If needed, use sealants to repair gaps around chimneys and vents, and replace missing or damaged fascia boards.

You might not want to paint the whole house on your own, but fall is a good time to put a new coat of paint on your exterior doors and window shutters — or simply touch them up.

The cooler weather makes the job easier — and you don’t have to worry as much about bugs. In most cases, you won’t need more than a gallon of paint and a couple of brushes.

Before winter is also a good time of year to check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they are working properly. It’s especially important for carbon monoxide detectors because you are less likely to keep any windows open during the winter, which increases the danger of carbon monoxide poising.

Your biggest expense will probably be replacing batteries. But even if you need to replace an alarm or two, you might not need to spend more than $100 or so.

If you put a lot of work into your landscaping, it makes sense to protect it during the cold months. Here are some things you should do before winter.

• Trim any dangling tree limbs to prevent them from snapping off from the weight of snow or ice.
• Turn off your sprinkler system.
• Drain outdoor faucets, irrigation systems and hoses. It’s also a good idea to disconnect your hoses.
• Add mulch to trees, shrubs and garden beds to help protect them from the cold.