Although maintaining and improving your home is a year-round task, specific seasons are more suitable for doing so. Summer might be the most popular season for remodeling your home. However, the hot weather is not ideal for labor-intensive projects. But autumn, on the other hand, is the perfect time to complete some tasks and prepare your home and yourself for the next winter season and its festivities. Additionally, the value of your home will rise as a result of these autumn home improvement projects, which is a welcome benefit.

1. Tackle your curb appeal

The first thing that you, and anyone visiting your home, will notice is your curb appeal. During a storm, overgrown plants, trees, and shrubs can seriously damage your home. So if you want to avoid a rogue branch costing you thousands of dollars, you should start trimming the low-hanging or dying branches. Although trimming promotes growth, be careful not to cut too much. Of course, the safest option is to hire professionals.

If you want to pour concrete into your garden, autumn’s brisk but dry days are the best for such occasions. Do you want to give new life to your deck? Well, autumn can provide adequate weather for such a task. Lastly, do not forget to prepare your plants and irrigation systems for winter. Hire a landscaper to pour mulch over your plants, and shut off the water to your irrigation system. 

2. Focus on roof maintenance

The last thing you want during winter is to worry whether or not your roof will be able to uphold the harsh conditions. This is why one of your autumn home improvement projects should be maintaining or fixing your roof. After all, your roof must be in good shape to withstand wind, rain, and snow. Hire professionals to take a closer look at it and give it the maintenance and care it needs. While at it, take a closer look at your gutters since they may be filled with dirt and leaves. You can choose to clean them yourself or hire professionals for the task to avoid harm.

3. Improve your home’s insulation

Depending on where you are, winter may bring with it harsh conditions such as low temperatures and strong wind. For this reason, you must improve or check your home’s insulating capacities.

The biggest culprit for letting the cold air in can be your windows and doors. This is especially common in older homes. Be sure to tackle any drafty windows or doors by either insulating them or fully replacing them. You can insulate them in a variety of ways, like using removable insulation tape or rope caulk to cover any cracks. Do some research to find a solution that works for you. On the other hand, replacing your windows and doors can be quite costly but will increase your home’s value. Additionally, check your attic for any other air leaks and insulate it before the cold months begin.

4. Give your kitchen and bathroom a makeover

Since summer is always a difficult season to book contractors, take advantage of autumn being less busy. After all, you will have a higher chance of finding available contractors that will be able to tackle your project. So, if you’ve wanted to give your kitchen or bathroom a makeover in summer, do it in autumn. Change the tiles in your kitchen or opt for budget-friendly alternatives to give your bathroom a new look with cheaper options. If that hasn’t convinced you yet, autumn will provide you with the best deals for your new appliances and fixtures, thanks to Labor Day and Black Friday sales. 

5. Repaint your home

If you’ve waited all year long to finally repaint your home, autumn is the last season you will be able to do so. This is because autumn is more tolerable than summer but hot enough that you will be able to open your windows and air out your rooms. But, if you want to truly add value to your home and make it stand out with little work, repaint your front door. This may seem like too easy of a task done in one afternoon to reap many financial benefits. However, the average ROI (return-of-interest) is between 80% and 140%. When painting anything outside, ensure it is not a rainy day and is over 40F outside. This will allow the paint to dry correctly without freezing in the process.

6. Make sure your HVAC is in a perfect condition

Another crucial thing you must do is to make sure your HVAC system works ideally. You do not want to get stuck during the coldest months of the year with no way to heat your home! Preemptively making sure everything is functional is the only way you will avoid such a scenario. Hire a professional to take a look and change anything that may need to be changed, and this will surely give you peace of mind knowing your winters will be cozy and warm. Moreover, if you haven’t updated your system in a while, doing so may be quite beneficial since newer ones are more energy efficient, saving you money in the long run.

7. Service your fireplace and chimney

Nothing is better than staying warm inside by the fireplace while it is chilly outside. The good news is that fireplaces can be affordable heat sources if they are correctly maintained. Therefore, be sure to fix up your fireplace yourself or have someone else do it for you since this is one of the most important autumn home improvement projects that will benefit you in the long run. Additionally, stock up on all the wood you will require for the season in advance to ensure that you are prepared. However, do not neglect your chimney when doing all of this work. After all, it is quite an essential part of the whole system. Hire someone to clean your chimney and prepare for the colder months.