Some projects are just made for summer or winter
Most experts agree that autumn is the best time to remodel your home.
Spring and summer work well for outdoor remodeling projects.
Hiring contractors and finding materials at lower prices is easier in winter.
Remodeling your home requires a bit of planning to find the perfect design and the best contractor. But should your plan also consider what is the best time of year to remodel? For most projects, autumn is the best time to tackle a remodel, but it’s not so cut and dry. Some remodeling jobs can create less stress at certain times of the year. Learn why looking at a calendar and a long-term weather forecast will benefit your home remodeling project.
While most experts say that fall is the best time to do a remodel, determining the best time of year for your specific project depends on the work you have in mind. Remodeling projects that work best when the weather is warmer in spring and summer include building a deck, replacing your windows, or updating a fireplace.
When the weather starts to cool, the best fall home improvement projects include staining or painting your siding and replacing a roof.
If you want to try to save some money on your renovations, consider doing winter home improvement projects. You may find it easier to hire a contractor and receive a good price for projects like remodeling a basement or interior rooms in winter. Contractors are busier in warmer weather, so they may charge you less during winter. Reach out to the contractor in late summer or early autumn to get your project on the winter schedule.
When you are trying to decide what time of the year is best to remodel, consider these factors.
Because fewer building projects occur in winter, you may have an easier time finding building materials in stock at a reasonable price during colder weather.
Perhaps you and your family want to leave for a vacation during the major portions of your home’s renovation. Think about the best time of the year to travel to your preferred destination and try to match it to the timing of your remodeling project.
Remodeling projects that focus on the exterior of the home may be particularly challenging during times of year when snow is on the ground. Icy roofs also pose a safety risk to contractors.
If your improvement project requires extra hours of daylight so workers can start early in the morning or go late into the evening, you’ll want to stick to late spring, summer, or early fall.
If your home’s heating and cooling systems will be out of commission for a while during the remodeling, try to schedule the work for spring or autumn. Outdoor temperatures are frequently comfortable during these times of the year.
Contractors and their workers may want to take long vacations around holidays on the calendar. Try to avoid starting a remodeling project around a major holiday, as you might have to live with your home in disrepair for a few days over a long weekend.
Some construction materials expand or fail to dry in a timely manner during times of the year with high humidity. You may want to avoid installing flooring or doing drywall mudding projects during summer days when the humidity will be highest.
If you are planning to remodel a kitchen, you may want to schedule the work for summer. In summer, you can cook with an outdoor grill and eat outdoors, helping you deal with the loss of your kitchen during the construction work.
During a home renovation, you may need a place to stay for a few weeks or months. First, ask friends or family if they can host you during the project's duration. If that's not an option, you can look into renting a small furnished home or apartment with a short-term or month-to-month lease. Vacation rental sites may also offer a good value if you book for an extended stay—especially if it's off-season. Remember: furnishings and flexibility are key.
The worst time of the year to remodel your home depends on the project.
Summer: For some homeowners, summer home improvement projects can put a real damper on leisure activities. For instance, when the kids are on school vacation and you’re feeling stressed while trying to manage their schedules, adding a major remodeling project to your to-do list might be too much. Another reason that summer may not be ideal for your remodeling project is the excessive heat that may cause discomfort if you have to turn off air conditioning or if parts of your roof or walls are removed.
Winter: Avoid scheduling projects that will remove part of your roof during the winter since ice and snow make it difficult for roofers to safely work. Also, avoid projects that require removing windows or tearing out exterior walls during winter. You don’t want to expose the interior of your home to cold winter weather if you can avoid it.
The average cost of a home renovation is about $52,000 and the cost to remodel multiple rooms averages about $47,000. Not all renovation projects cost this much, but regardless of what you’re expecting to spend, it’s fair that you’d want to save some money.
Even if you only save 5% or 10% by focusing on when is the best time of year to remodel, this can add up to several thousand dollars on certain projects.
Labor costs are often at least half of the cost of any remodeling project, so doing some of the work yourself can save quite a bit of money. Most homeowners should stick to simpler DIY tasks like painting and laying vinyl plank flooring, though. Jobs like rewiring, plumbing, or wall framing are better for a professional to handle to ensure they occur safely while matching local building codes.
Reach out to a local home remodeling company to receive a quote on the project that you’re planning. As you’re requesting quotes, it never hurts to ask whether you can receive a discount by doing the project at a certain time of the year or by taking on some of the work yourself.
Home renovation is often less expensive during a recession. Contractors may be willing to give you a deal on labor costs because they’re looking for more work during slow economic times. However, waiting to do a necessary home remodeling project while trying to predict the ebbs and flows of the national economy is overthinking the timing of the project. It’s easier to focus on determining when is the best time of the year to remodel.
The length of time to renovate a house can be anywhere from one to 12 months, depending on the complexity of the project. In other words, just because you start a remodeling project at a certain time or season of the year, you might finish it during another season. Make plans for how you’ll deal with a change in the seasons and weather if your project has a timeline of several months.
No, home improvement loan rates typically do not drop during certain times of the year. Interest rates go up and down based on economic conditions rather than on the time of the year. Some banks may offer slight rate discounts around the same holidays every year, but this is a marketing decision rather than a decision based on the time of the year. If you want to use a home improvement loan to fund your remodeling project, the best option is to shop around at different banks for the best rates.
