As summer fun in the sun gives way to raking leaves and apple picking in cooler weather, you may have projects on your to-do list that you’d prefer to tackle yourself over calling in the professionals like a home repair specialist. If you enjoy DIY home improvement, there’s nothing more satisfying than finishing a project and knowing you did it on your own. If you bring your family in to help with the project, it can be as great of a bonding experience as heading to a pumpkin patch or doing other fun fall activities.
Once you’re finished with the project, you can celebrate over warm apple cider and rustic fall dishes. The best part of getting DIY fall home improvement tasks done is that they’ll often impact the value of your property or at least improve the aesthetic quality of your home for years to come. Even if you’re just doing some basic fall decorating like weaving fall-themed garland around the stair railing or hanging some paintings that make your home feel more ready for autumn, it can be an enjoyable process.
Some home maintenance tasks are great to finish every year in the fall such as repairing the roof or ensuring that the furnaces are in working order before they start to run. Other tasks like treating mold could be accomplished at any time of year, but they’re still a good choice for when you’re cramped inside due to cooler weather. Since fall signifies the start of the part of the year when many of us spend less time outdoors and more time inside, it can be the perfect time to take better care of your home. If your kids are away at school for most of the day, it can also give you the space and free time to work on DIY home projects without the typical interruptions that summer can bring.
While there are some tasks that are best left to those who have years of training and experience as a home repair specialist under their toolbelts, there are plenty of DIY projects you can complete to make your home as cozy and appealing as possible before Thanksgiving and other fall festivities. By reading through our suggestions below, you can either take our tips straight from our list or use them as a launching point to inspire the DIY fall home renovation list of your dreams. When you’re deciding what DIY projects to do, you should consider your skill level. Don’t be afraid to call in professional help or a more experienced DIY home improvement enthusiast if you find that a project falls well outside of your depth.
Can You Do Every Autumn Home Repair Project on Your Own?
Although you might find it more cost-effective and rewarding to complete home repairs on your own, there is a line that’s drawn between repairs that are fine to do yourself and ones that require a home repair specialist for safe completion. While it can be hard to tell what projects are okay to complete on a DIY basis and which ones need professional help, there are some guidelines you can follow to determine the best path forward for a home improvement project. Even if you’ve been completing DIY projects for years in your home, there may be some tasks that aren’t safe or possible to do yourself. That’s when it’s time to call in the professionals.
If you’re still struggling to decide whether a project is okay to DIY or you should search the internet for local repair contractors, hallerent.com offers some sage advice. According to hallerent.com, you should consider your level of skill and experience. As they say, “Be honest with yourself about your DIY skills and level of experience. What appears to be a simple job at first could turn out to be much more than you bargained for. Mistakes can cause the cost of the project to skyrocket, and you may end up having to call a professional to undo the damage. Fixing a mistake will probably cost a lot more than if you had called a pro in the first place.”
On top of this, you should think about the time commitment. To quote an article on hallerent.com, “A more involved DIY project can take days or even weeks to complete. Consider whether you’re willing to sacrifice evenings and weekends to get the job done. In most cases, a professional can complete the project more quickly and efficiently, while minimizing lengthy disruptions to your normal lifestyle.”
On top of time commitment and experience, you should consider local building codes. If you’re tackling major electrical projects or constructing elements like a patio, deck, or addition, you should review local building codes. They may require permits and other paperwork to be completed before you begin the project. Otherwise, you’re opening yourself up to code violations and other potential issues. Certain types of projects like electrical, HVAC, or plumbing jobs could be unsafe to complete on your own. If you don’t have specialized training in these areas, you should call a professional who does before you attempt to complete them yourself
Replace Essential Appliances
If you notice that your showers are not as hot as usual or you find that your hot water is unreliable, it may be time to schedule a replacement for hot water heaters. If you don’t have the skills needed to complete the task, we’d recommend calling in a home repair specialist. If you’ve replaced a hot water heater before and you feel confident in your abilities, you can attempt to finish the job yourself. Of course, hot water heaters can be very heavy. As a result, you should have some buddies or contractors help you install the heater. Other everyday appliances like the stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer, and dryer should be inspected regularly to ensure that they’re in proper working order. Fall can be a good time to replace these appliances because the kids will be away from home for most of the day if they’re in school. What’s more, some contractors find that they have more free time in certain months during the fall because they have fewer emergency repairs scheduled if you live in a region that’s impacted by hurricanes or other natural disasters.
Tend the Lawn
Before your lawn gets overrun by crunchy fall leaves, you may want to do some landscaping to get it into shape. You can either use your lawn equipment or hire a home repair specialist to do the job. If you prefer to take the DIY approach, you’ll certainly want to use the tools you have at your disposal. When you’re having problems with your current lawn mower, it may be time to invest in a new lawn mower if your old one isn’t working as well as it once did.
On top of taking care of your lawn, you can get some fall gardening in before the weather turns too cold for this kind of activity. Keep an eye out for signs for ” compost for sale” so you can fertilize your root vegetables and other fall crops with natural compost. If you’re planning a fall garden, you should do your research to determine which types of vegetables and other plants would be able to withstand fall temperatures. Some produce is better to plant in the summer or start inside during the winter months while other crops are best suited to plant in the fall. Some popular fall crops like corn or root vegetables may need to be planted within a certain window in the summer to be ready to harvest during the fall months.
Prepare the Drive Way for Colder Weather
As the weather gets colder, you’re more at risk of driving in the elements like snow and sleet. Before you get stuck in your driveway or your driveway freezes over, you should either fix minor issues with the pavement yourself or call a paving company to tackle a bigger job. If the asphalt in your driveway needs replace or new gravel needs laid, you can call a home repair specialist or team of contractors to help. They’ll be able to finish the job using their professional tools, materials, and skills. This will save you time and money in the long run. If you want to do the job yourself, make sure you do your research and follow the laws and regulations of your local municipality.
Finesse the Floors
If you’re looking to do a proper wood floor install, you can either call a home repair specialist to complete the task or try to do it yourself. If you have some experience installing wood floors, you may be able to get away with doing this job on your own. It’s especially helpful if you can call in some friends to help you with the job. Once you’ve stripped the previous flooring, you should be able to follow some tutorials online to install your new floors. Before you decide on a type of flooring, you should think about your lifestyle, goals, and aesthetic preferences. You should also consider your budget as you’re planning this new flooring. If you have a tight budget, a vinyl or tile floor material may be more friendly to your bank account than hardwood flooring. Some vinyl planks look just as good as hardwood floors without the high cost or labor-intensive cleaning and waxing process.
Create a Cozy Outdoor Environment
In the cooler months, you might find yourself spending less time in the pool and more time in a hot tub. This makes sense since you’ll be freezing if you try to go swimming in the middle of autumn. To install a hot tub safely, you should call a hot tub company and consult with a home repair specialist.
For basic outdoor furniture changes, you should be able to handle this DIY project yourself. As you transition from summer to fall, you should buy an outdoor furniture set that reflects the change in weather. Depending on where you live, some materials like cast aluminum may be better than others.
According to build.com, “Cast aluminum patio furniture is a popular choice for outdoor furniture due to the natural durability and elegance this material offers. Naturally resistant to rust, cast aluminum furniture will last for quite a long time, so you can be sure you are getting a good value with your purchase. Cast aluminum is also very light, making it easy to move around your yard or relocate when you move house. That being said, this quality makes this type of furniture sometimes impractical if you live in an area that experiences high winds, which is common in the fall.” For areas with higher winds, wrought iron may be a better choice. Although it has a higher price point, it’s also heavy enough to stay in place on blustery fall days.
Inspect and Repair Heat Sources
If you just need to replace filters, you can DIY this fall project. You can also install space heaters on your own. For more complicated furnace repairs, you’ll need to call in a home repair specialist.
Get Ready for Apple Picking and Pumpkin Pies
One of the most fun parts of fall is spending more time in the kitchen. This is where reading blogs by kitchen designers can inspire you to make your cooking space cozier for autumn cooking and baking. Some simple DIY projects include decorating your kitchen for fall or installing basic appliances that make it easier to bake or cook in the cooler months. For more challenging tasks like removing mold, it’s important to consult a home repair specialist like a mold removal company.
In short, after the weather turns too cold to splash around in the pool or host a barbeque, you might be left wondering what you can do to bond as a household or keep your hands busy. With a few fun fall-themed DIY home repair projects on your roster, you’ll eliminate the question of what to do with your free time. If your family notices that certain parts of your house could use some TLC, this is also a great way to show them that you hear them out and care about how they feel about your shared dwelling.