In the same way that gardeners brighten the dark, rainy days of winter by poring over brightly colored seed catalogs, homeowners use this dreary time to plot their summer remodeling projects. When the rain starts tapering off in late spring, contractors in Portland get busy, so now is the time to get on the builders’ calendars.If you’ve got an idea for an addition or remodel to increase the livability of your home, you should be working now to firm up your thoughts. Keep a notebook handy to write down ideas, tear out pages from magazines, bookmark websites, and save photos and plans in a Houzz Ideabook. There’s nothing like seeing beautifully designed homes in person, so you may consider visiting Realtors’ and builders’ open houses and take advantage of home tours, jotting down notes and adding to your stock of ideas. A good place to gain inspiration and gather information from representatives of builders and suppliers is a home and garden show.
Start researching contractors, make phone calls, interview builders and architects, and get your plans underway now. Click here to learn more about interviewing, the remodeling process, and more.
Warm-Weather Projects
Indoor home remodel projects can proceed when it’s cold and wet outside, but obviously work that requires dry ground and clear skies must take place in the summer months in Portland. Projects best for summer weather? Think of projects that take place outdoors. Like building an outdoor kitchen or entertainment area. Building an outdoor kitchen in the spring provides the perfect opportunity for summer and fall entertaining. Replacing roofing or replacing or adding siding are also popular options. You can also consider exterior painting or staining to give your home a fresh new curb appeal. In this same vein, consider replacing your windows for increased energy efficiency.
If you’re thinking about taking the green-energy route, installing solar-energy materials is a fantastic option. Despite Portland’s reputation for wet weather, the city isn’t too cloudy for residential solar-energy installations. This work, usually on the roof, is a lot easier to perform when the weather is dry. Oregon offers a number of incentives to help residents install energy-saving systems in their homes, and the federal government’s income tax credit for solar-energy systems still is in effect.
For those who are considering a larger project, home additions are fantastic warm-weather projects, as laying foundations and concrete in the mud isn’t always a great situation, although it can be done with the right design-build firm. Another warm-weather renovation would be a kitchen remodel that involves an open-concept leading to the outdoors. In the summer, not only is the dry weather a boon, but it’s a good time to use your existing outdoor kitchen or barbecue grill as a fallback when the main kitchen is torn up.
You may also consider building an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). All the rage in Portland and other places around the country, these secondary living spaces often involve creating an entirely new detached structure or adding on to an existing home. Both projects go better when it’s not soaking wet outside! Click here to learn more about building an ADU in Portland, Oregon.
COLD-WEATHER PROJECTS
Now is a great time to work on some of these projects that kept building up over the summer. The fall and winter can be a great time for cleaning out closets, doing some inside projects, and preparing for spring or summer. If you're looking for some home improvement projects or some great indoor projects here's what you should focus on this winter:#1. CLEANING OUT THE CLOSET
Now is a great time to clean out everything that you did not wear this summer and spring. If it's been over a year since you've used it, it's time to donate it or sell it. Simply get it out of your closet. One good rule of thumb that we have is that if we bring in a new item of clothing we have to get rid of something else. This frees up the hangers, closet space, and simply declutters your life, plus, you can also clean out Christmas closets, holiday decorations, and junk drawers of anything that you simply haven’t used in the last six to eight months.#2. CLEAN OUT THE GUTTERS
Once all the leaves fall off the trees it's a great time to get them out of your gutters so that when the fall and winter rains hit, as it often does this time of year in the Pacific Northwest, you won't be clogging up drain spouse and ruining your siding and your roofs. If you don't feel comfortable getting on a ladder or on your roof, especially if it's slippery, it's time to hire a professional.#3. MAINTAIN AND TRIM THE TREES
Once the leaves are off you can see where unusual offshoots are ruining the look and shape of most trees. It's time to cut back those fruit trees so they are prepared for next spring and summer and simply clean up the yard, sweep the leaves and trim the trees back.#4. MAINTAIN AND CHECK THE SUMP PUMP
If you have an unfinished basement, they can get wet pretty quickly. If you have a sump pump installed it can handle most groundwater level rising by eliminating that water before it becomes a problem but you want to make sure you maintain that pump and activated when necessary.#5. SERVICE YOUR FURNACE
Now is a great time to consider scheduling a furnace service and maintenance before it gets too cold. The last thing you want is for your furnace to break down on a cold day only to discover the service company is out a week or more. Have it serviced now and repair or replace anything that might be faulty in order to prepare it for the long winter.