Top Tips For Winter Renovations

There’s no perfect time to undertake home renovations, as depending on the scale they will usually always turn your house upside down for a short while as the new changes get made. 
In summer it can be slightly easier as the warmer weather means you can make use of your outside space to place items of furniture without them getting ruined while the inside undergoes renovations, and the light nights also mean you can work later without having to worry about internal lighting. 
However, in the winter it can be a trickier to start work on your home renovations for a number of reasons. There is the cold weather first of all which can affect everything from the time it takes paint and plaster to dry to important deliveries held up by inclement weather. 
The days are shorter too, so if you need natural light to complete the work then you will always be against the clock to get everything done before around 4pm. If you have children too, then going out isn’t always an option in the colder months as it is in summertime, so you will find yourselves in the house – and the renovation mess – more often than you’d like. 
The good news is that Refresh Renovations are here with 5 top tips on how to make the most of winter renovations and get ahead in the coldest months.

1. Don’t have too high expectations

If you are imagining that your winter home renovation will be like some gentle fairies coming into your home and sprinkling their magic everywhere, all neatly and perfectly putting everything in its place, then you have another thing coming. In fact, the only thing getting sprinkled during a renovation is probably dust – and a great deal of it! 
Along with the weather you can expect mud trailed through the property by workmen, so a top tip is to just embrace the dirt and mitigate against it wherever possible. Keep doors to the upstairs closed, remove any valuables, and save your daily cleaning energy for one huge clean when everything has been completed.

2. Pay attention to your heating

When you live in during a home renovation, especially in winter, you are going to notice that the doors and windows are open quite a lot of the time with things being moved in and out. We advise that you turn the heating off in the area where the works are being done and just keep it on in the main living spaces of the home, possibly the bedrooms. 
Invest in a nice warm scarf and hat if you have to live without heating temporarily, and don’t set a thermostat high if your doors are going to be opened and closed throughout the day. A large house coat is another great idea, and you can even shut off the heating completely and just opt to heat each room individually when required, such as before bedtime or when in use during the evenings. 

3. See the renovation in daylight

Oftentimes if you are working when the renovation is taking place, you might not get to see it in daylight, as the sun will have already set by the time you get home. The room can look a lot different by daylight than it does with just a torch or internal lighting, so arrange to meet with your builder at some point during the day so you can keep an eye on how things are progressing in true light. 
It might be that the angle of the sun is casting a certain area into shadow, but you’ll never know if you don’t experience the renovation at different times of day. It will only become apparent after the renovation is completed, and too late to do anything about it. If you are having certain paint colours too, be sure to see these on the wall in the right light, as the perfect grey may actually reveal touches of blue or purple in daylight. ‍

4. Remember Christmas

If your renovation is taking place over the Christmas holidays, then it’s important not to let the fact your house is now a building site override that fact. You can still decorate the rooms which aren’t affected by the renovation provided they don’t interfere with it, such as wires trailing across the floor or blocking window access. 
You don’t need to go full blown this year with an 8ft tree and lots of decorations hanging from the ceiling, but if you have children then you should still aim to keep the magic alive in their rooms and other communal areas. Why not purchase a few smaller trees in pots and place them in the bedroom for the children to decorate. 
You might even have to have Christmas dinner in a half-finished kitchen, but it will be a memorable experience for sure, and one you’ll probably laugh about in years to come. 

5. Keeping the team happy

Sometimes builders might bring their own kettle and food for the day, but always remember to be the best host if you are going to be in and around the home during renovation works. Every couple of hours remember to flick the kettle on and give them a well-deserved tea break to warm them up. Teas, cups of coffee and large mugs of hot chocolate will always go down well in cold weather. Don’t forget the biscuits! 
If you want to go the extra mile, and assuming you even have a kitchen to work from, you can even make bacon or sausage sandwiches to power the team onwards towards completing your renovation. 
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Want to learn more?

If you’re considering a winter renovation, reach out to the friendly team here at Refresh Renovations and we can walk you through exactly what a renovation entails and how to prepare your home for it. We have tackled hundreds of renovations throughout the year, and no matter whether you choose to renovate in summer or winter, we’re here to give you the best experience possible to achieve an excellent result!
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