With the end of the school year less than a month away and summer on the horizon, many Manitobans are finalizing their summer plans. Enjoying outdoor activities as much as possible, taking some well-earned vacation time or enjoying a weekend getaway are always high on people’s priority lists over the summer. Which actually makes July and August a great time to get indoor renovations out of the way before the fall and the return of shorter days and colder weather.
Usually, we think of summer home renovations as tackling outdoor projects like new decks, new windows, yard landscaping, new siding or painting and other similar projects that add to the functionality and appeal of the exterior of our home. But the summer months are a great time to schedule any major interior renovations you may be planning.
For example, if you are planning on hiring a renovator to build your dream kitchen, remodel a bathroom or create the ultimate rec room in your basement, having that work done when it causes the least amount of disruption in your home makes tremendous sense. It’s during the summer months when you usually use these parts of your home the least.
For most kitchen renovations, it is the time you spend without a fully functioning kitchen that is the biggest inconvenience. Usually, you try to make the time you don’t have full access to your refrigerator, stove and kitchen sink as short as possible. But it can be far less of an inconvenience during the summer. Many people enjoy barbecuing and eating on their patios or decks during the summer months. This takes the sting out of losing the use of your oven and stovetop while renovations to the kitchen or dining room are being done.
For renovations to indoor entertaining areas like a family room or basement rec room, the same idea would apply. Summer evenings lend themselves to entertaining outside or spending time enjoying outdoor activities. This reduces the need to entertain in your basement rec room in August. The need for indoor entertaining certainly becomes far greater during the colder fall and winter months. So, for those who don’t spend much time in their basement during the summer, August is the perfect time to give it a makeover.
Tackling a bathroom renovation or plumbing project during the summer will also ensure you avoid any issues that a sudden drop in temperature can cause during other times of the year.
And if you are able to get away for a week or two of summer vacation, any inconvenience a home renovation project may cause becomes non-existent.
The summer months are also usually the most convenient time to have any furnace maintenance or duct cleaning done. Ensuring your furnace is in tip-top shape before the temperature dips is always a smart idea.
For a whole host of reasons, summer isn’t just for sprucing up the backyard or giving the house a fresh coat of paint. It can be the best and most strategic time to tackle that indoor project you’ve been planning.
Lanny McInnes is president of the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association.
