New year, new beginning! The final months of the year are the perfect time to give your home a fresh start with a few small but impactful projects. The fact of the matter is that, no matter where you live, you likely spend a lot more time at home when the weather’s nippy. When you focus on upgrades that improve your quality of life and make spending time at home all the more enjoyable, it’ll make that mid-winter hibernation so much more bearable! Here are some fun ideas for how to upgrade your home before the snow starts to fall.

1. A Fresh New Bathroom

The bathroom serves as a wintertime oasis, providing you with a self-care sanctuary that lets you soak, reflect and warm up from the core. Spend the fall months giving your water closet a sweet upgrade with new bathroom cabinets and a new soaking tub or steam shower. Remember that a good place to relax and recover can equal improved mental health, so consider it an investment in your home and your heart.

(Tip: With ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets and stock vanities, you can get a stunning, custom-like look in the bathroom without the high cost of custom cabinetry.)

2. A Complete Closet Overhaul

Ah, is there anything more serene and welcoming than a perfectly organized closet? Whether that means investing in new custom closets or adding a couple of roomy shelves and shoe racks to up the organization potential, giving all your closets a little attention can help ensure that you feel complete tranquility all winter long.

3. New Living Room Furniture

The living room is like the bathroom in that its comfort and feel are crucial in the winter months. The fact is that you’ll be spending plenty of time cozying up by the fire (and the TV), so you want to make sure it’s as comfortable as possible. This is a great time of year to invest in new furniture or make small, pleasant upgrades like new throw pillows, blankets, and décor.

4. Upgraded Internet Connection

Speaking of TV…consider upping to the fastest internet option in your area before you settle in for the winter hibernation. Remember that — especially this year, with the pandemic in full-swing — our primary source of entertainment will be via cable or streaming services, so you don’t want to skimp on the connection speeds. You may also consider finally upgrading to that new TV or surround-sound system if you plan to spend the cooler months binge-watching in your pajamas.

5. A Working Fireplace

If you have a fireplace you’ve been neglecting, the fall months are the best time to spiff it up so it’s safe and in good working order when the temps dip low. Be sure to have an annual fireplace inspection and chimney sweep to ensure things are ready to burn. Otherwise, your serene fireplace experience could turn into serious fire and smoke damage.

If you don’t have a fireplace in your home, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the restorative tranquility of a fire feature! There are many stylish and functional electric and wall-mounted fireplaces that bring the same warmth and coziness relatively affordably.

6. A Cozy Patio Bonfire

Speaking of fires, what do you say about the warmth of a raging fire, but without having to put the effort into an indoor unit? A patio bonfire pit or ring is an affordable way to let the fire blaze and warm you up, even when the temps are low. Make sure to stock the patio with some cozy wool blankets and maybe an electric heater or two to keep your guests toasty.

Tip: Use hot water bottles and reusable heat packs to keep your hands and feet warm while enjoying your patio bonfire during the fall and winter. And don’t forget the s’mores and hot chocolate!

7. New Appliances

Spending extra time at home during the winter months means you’ll be using a lot more electricity and energy. Now’s as good a time as any to upgrade to those much-needed Energy Star appliances, including the washer, dryer and dishwasher, and to upgrade your lighting to longer-lasting LEDs. Even these seemingly simple swap-outs can do wonders for your electric bill, also minimizing maintenance for you in the long-run.

8. Energy Efficient Home Upgrades

It’s also an especially good time of year to focus on residential energy efficiency, such as heat pumps, air conditioning, furnaces, fans, water heaters, stoves, insulation and roofing. This is the best time to focus on getting these kinds of projects done so you can qualify for this year’s Energy Star tax credits, which typically count when purchased through Dec. 31. Of course, these projects will also drastically lower your heating costs while decreasing your carbon footprint.

9. Smart Home Upgrades

Winter is all about lazing around, relaxing, and enjoying the great indoors, so why not eliminate stress and effort with some great smart home upgrades? A smart home hub — Google Nest, Amazon Echo, etc. — is easy to integrate with your thermostat, lighting, security cameras, and even appliances, like your dryer and dishwasher. This can help save you energy by automating certain systems, such as keeping your thermostat to the ideal temperature when you’re away. Not only do these devices automate, they also provide convenient voice activation so you can control them without getting up or breaking out the remote.

10. Invest in a Whole-Home Air Filter

Last but not least, consider upgrading the air quality within your home, since you’ll be spending a lot more time indoors during the cooler months, which could potentially trigger allergies and discomfort for the whole family. You can do this by investing in a whole-home air filtration system that destroys pollutants and eliminates impurities so you can breathe easier and enjoy fresher smelling air — even when it’s not logical to crack a window.

Your pre-New Year home upgrades are all about improving indoor living and adding warmth, comfort, and convenience to your space. With these affordable but effective updates, you’ll want to spend the entirety of the cooler months cozied up at home with your family.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.