Remodeling Your Home For The Holidays
Home remodeling around the holidays has been a popular trend in Wisconsin for many years. If your house isn’t ready for guests this year what do you think it’s going to take to get there? Does your kitchen need a facelift? Do you need that basement conversion done so you’re guests will have somewhere to stay?
For big projects like a basement finishing project you are unfortunately almost out of time, don’t fear however! There are still plenty of smaller home improvement and remodeling projects that will make your home a more enjoyable place for the holidays and they won’t take months or tens of thousands of dollars to pull off.
We’ve compiled a list of smaller, but still visually appealing home improvements one could realistically have finished between now and let’s say a week or two before Christmas.
Here Are Five Fast Home Improvement Projects For The Holidays
#1. New Kitchen Countertops:
Are your old kitchen counter tops starting to look really worn out after many years of use? Maybe the color has started to fade in some of the more used sections or even the first layer of material has begun to wear off exposing the wood beneath? This is often really noticeable around the seams of old countertops. Even when counter tops are installed properly they can slowly shift positions over the years as everything settles. This can cause tiny height variations between your counter tops wherever there is a seam. These “high spots” will usually show wear before any other section of your counter top.
Replacing your counter tops is an easy task for most contractors and the job can usually be completed in a few days.
- 1 day to view the project and take measurements.
- 1 – 2 days for the removal and replacement of the counter tops.
There will be small wait between measurements and the actual installation but if you’re fast and book an appointment soon you’ll be able to have this done before the holidays. Your guests will love your new counter tops and you’ll be able to enjoy them for many years.
#2. New Entryway Flooring:
It’s not uncommon for many seasons greetings to take place within the entryway of your home. It’s no coincidence either, that in your daily life the flooring in foyer or entryway into your home takes a lot of abuse. Add some kids and pets into the mix and it only takes a few years to really degrade the appearance of many flooring materials such as carpet, vinyl or even some low quality laminates. Carpet, although a favorite of the past just doesn’t hold a candle to the durability of some of the products on the market today and out of all the flooring materials it’s probably the first material to look really “worn”. Plus renting carpet cleaners or hiring carpet guys is a pain in the rear.
Replacing the flooring in your homes entryway is definitely a project that can be completed relatively quickly.
- 1 day to view project and take measurements.
- 1 – 7 days for material wait.
- 1 day to remove old flooring and usually begin the new floor.
- 1 day to finish laying the new floor and finishing touches.
This is just a sample time frame on a floor that was approximately 1000 square feet or less.
The biggest hold up with flooring can often be waiting on materials if you are set on a specific brand or style that might be tougher to get or has a waiting period from manufacturer to the local retailer. If you’re happy with some of the flooring materials the building supply stores or a local builder has on-hand you can get some excellent deals this time of year.
#3. New Kitchen or Living Room Flooring:
Next to the entryway into your home your guests will probably spend a great deal of their time in your kitchen and your living room. Kitchen floors naturally take a lot of daily abuse and often warrant replacement much sooner than other areas of the home. If your home was built in the last few decades you most likely have a vinyl or laminate floor in the kitchen already.
Depending on the size of the kitchen tile makes a fantastic choice that is very durable and has moisture repellent qualities, laminate is an alright choice but can lead to problems if you ever have a water leak or let’s say one of these “under the sink” water filters that are prone to destroying kitchen flooring when they fail.
A great economical choice for the kitchen is going back to the old vinyl flooring which actually comes in some very high quality prints that can look just like stone tile or wood. In fact, many people cannot tell the different until they really look.
Living rooms are a little different. If you’re home was built in the last few decades then a lot of living rooms are carpeted. You may like carpet, or maybe you don’t like the maintenance hassle. Through renovations and other remodeling projects many homeowners have already upgraded the flooring in their living rooms to a laminate or hardwood.
They are well suited for this area of the home and will last for many, many years. A nice flooring transition from tile in the kitchen to laminate or hardwood in the living room/dining room is a very popular modern decorating style.
Replacing your kitchen or living room flooring can usually be done within a week.
- 1 day to view project and take measurements.
- 1 – 7 days waiting on materials to arrive.
- 1 day to remove old flooring and begin the new floor.
- 1 day to finish laying the new floor and any finishing touches.
These time frames may not apply to every home but generally homes less then 2500 square feet in size flooring projects like these can be completed in just a few days. As with our foyer flooring one of the biggest delays when it comes to flooring can be waiting for the specific flooring material to arrive. If you are content with something you can find in stock you’ll likely get a much better deal this time of the year too.
#4. Drywall Finishing, Painting and Repair:
Unfinished drywall in a home is unsightly and looks… well… unfinished. If you’re letting your guests stay in your basement, addition or a guest room that has unfinished drywall then you need to fix that.
In the case of drywall repairs, it happens. Everyone has had a hole in the drywall in their house at some point. In fact, if you have kids you’ve probably got a few stories that already come to mind. Small holes are easily repaired, but what do you do when your two teenage sons are karate fighting each other in the living room and one kicks the other into a wall? Yeah.. True story… Well it leaves a giant somewhat human shaped hole in the drywall between the studs.
A good contractor will be able to finish off and repair the drywall for you and take care of the painting too so the space you’re offering to your guests looks fantastic, and fresh.
Drywall finishing and repairs can usually be completed in a few short days.
- 1 day to view the project and take measurements.
- 3-5 days for drywall finishing and painting.
- 1-2 days for drywall repairing (how large is the damage?)
- 1 day to paint and let the paint dry.
If your entire home needs have the drywall finished then this timeline wouldn’t apply. This timeline is more for the homeowner who needs their basement drywall finished, or the drywall in one or two larger rooms in the house.
#5. Some Basic Landscaping or Property Cleanup:
The outside of your home makes just as big of an impression on your guests as the inside. And for most Wisconsin homeowners properties it doesn’t take much to make them look beautiful with just some simple and basic landscaping techniques. Utilizing a machine like a bobcat or skidsteer there are a variety of landscape tasks that can be completed in just a few hours, let alone a few days.
Here Are A Few Small Landscape Projects You Could Do
- Spread mulch in garden beds
- Remove any brush or foliage that has been unkept
- Spread soil around your yard or gardens
- Repair drainage problems on your property
- Position large rocks or boulders for decoration
While not as glamorous as some of the above home improvements that happen inside there is a ton of projects that an ambitious homeowner can have completed on their property before the holiday guests arrive.
Who Offers Home Remodeling Services in Fond Du Lac Wisconsin?
