With every new season comes a list of home improvement projects that need to be done. Winter can be a particularly busy season, leaving little time left to check off your to-do list. This winter, spend more time with your family and friends and leave the to-do list to the professionals. See which winter handyman projects you can get done this season.
1. Hang Holiday Lights
Do you love the look of holiday lights on your home, but don’t have the time or energy to spend an entire afternoon hanging them? No problem. A handyman can easily help get your home ready for the holidays. Depending on how many strings of lights you need to be strung, this task should only take a couple of hours and is a great task to bundle with others. Handymen typically charge by the hour so grouping multiple small projects into one day is a great way to save money and get your to-do list done all at once.
2. Weather Proof Windows & Doors
Winter is cold in Canada, that’s an undeniable fact. While we can’t do much about the temperature outside, you can certainly make small changes to improve the temperature inside your home. Hire a handyman to update the weatherstripping and/or caulking around your windows and doors. They can also install a new door sweep or add insulation to your attic. Taking these steps will ensure there are no gaps where chilled air can sneak through and can help lower your heating costs.
3. Winterize Outdoor Irrigation Systems
If you have an irrigation system, outdoor spigots or other water features, now is the time to prepare them for winter. If left untreated, the freezing temperatures of winter will wreak havoc on your irrigation. You can hire a handyman to winterize your systems for you. Winterization typically costs between $85 and $100, but it can end up saving you hundreds of dollars by not having to repair or replace a damaged system in the spring. Spend a little now to save a lot later.
4. Fix Minor Annoyances
Squeaking floorboards? Dripping taps? Shelves that keep falling down? Little annoyances can build up over time and drive us crazy. If you’ve been collecting a list of little things that never seem to get done, now is the time to fix them. Enlist the help of a handyman to check off these items. As mentioned before, bundling your handyman projects can help save you money, so it makes sense to tackle these projects all in one go.
5. Clean Out Gutters
It’s always a good idea to clean your gutters before the winter frost sets in. All autumn long, your gutters have been collecting fallen leaves, rain, and other debris. To ensure your gutters don’t freeze with those items in them, have a handyman clean them out this winter. Clogged gutters can lead to ice dams, roof leaks, and a list of foundation problems. To ensure these don’t happen to you, get your gutters cleaned once the last leaf has fallen.
6. Check Furnace
You really don’t want your furnace to stop working during the winter. To ensure this doesn’t happen, it’s important to change your furnace filter and to have your HVAC system looked at. If you recently had it serviced, it’s probably in good working order. If it’s been a while, you’ll definitely want to have a pro take a look. A handyman can provide a quality check and fix any minor issues as necessary.
7. Trim Trees
This might seem like an odd addition to the list, but winter is actually a great time to take care of tree trimming. With all of the leaves gone, you can clearly see which branches need to be pruned back. Failing to remove overhanging or weak branches can lead to snow piling up which causes the branches to fall off. These falling branches could end up on your home or car or even injure someone walking by.
Tree trimming can be done at any point during the winter, but it’s best to do it before the first thaw. Typically this occurs in February or March in Canada. Once your trees thaw out, buds will start to appear and trimming will become trickier. Have a handyman take care of this task in early winter and it will be one less thing to worry about in the Spring.
8. Small Kitchen Projects
With the holidays quickly approaching, there is likely going to be lots of eating and entertaining in your home. To ensure your kitchen can handle it, have a handyman come by and fix anything that’s broken or isn’t looking its best. Small kitchen projects include things like updating hardware, adding a new backsplash, or giving your walls a fresh coat of paint. These small updates can make your kitchen look like it’s had a full renovation but at a fraction of the cost. Connect with a handyman to make these small changes to your kitchen.
Now that you have a better idea of how many things a handyman can help you with this winter, there’s only one thing left to do: book an appointment! Start on HomeStars and connect with trusted handymen in your area who can help you get your home ready for winter.
