Renovating your home can feel like an utterly overwhelming project, even if it is one to which you have been looking forward for some time. Getting a new home – particularly a first one – is an extremely complex, costly and laborious process, which only gets more laborious when you set to making it a home.
As the nights close in and temperatures drop, it is only natural that your inclinations to renovate decrease. We have a want to get cosy and hibernate through until brighter days are here; meanwhile, conventional wisdoms about certain DIY tasks can leave us waiting for a dry and warm day to proceed. But renovating in the winter isn’t all that miserable!
At least, it doesn’t have to be. In fact, there are some key benefits to starting on your new home sooner rather than later – but what exactly are they?
Feeling the Benefit
The first benefit you will uncover is a fundamental one, and fundamentally linked to the displeasure of the colder winter climate. In starting renovations right away, you can ensure your rooms are insulated properly before replacing the plasterboard and redecorating in your ideal colours. This simple pre-decoration undertaking can save you a significant amount on your winter energy bills, and keep you more comfortable to boot!
Finding Contractors
With the summer months presenting as a form of ‘on-season’ for home renovations (to crib a phrase from the tourism industry), it stands to reason that contractors and tradespeople find themselves busier during the warmer months. Indeed, the shortage of skilled tradespeople in the UK is felt most keenly in the summer as a result.
The inverse is also the case, though; during the winter, contractor schedules are freer, giving you more options for your bigger projects. In having a broader range of available workers and teams, you can avail of the best possible skill sets on the market.
Lower Costs
There is a secondary benefit to waiting until the winter to book in professional labourers or construction teams, too – cost. The reduction in demand across the winter months makes trade work and construction inherently seasonal, at least on the domestic level, but this does not mean that construction businesses are immune to season downturns in profit.
With this in mind, many businesses will be willing to cut a deal with prospective customers at an ‘off-season’ rate, allowing you to avoid the premium costs associated with busier summer schedules. The result could well be a renovation or extension project that is cheaper by a matter of thousands.
Scheduling
Finally, there is a significant boon to arranging works over the winter months in the form of scheduling. There are more holidays available in the winter for most people, making it easier to arrange time off to supervise or arrange works. There is also the possibility of vacating the home for a winter holiday, and avoiding the difficulty of living in a construction site for a week!