As much as we love to work in our yards, it’s always nice to get a breather from all of the yard work when the weather starts to get colder. While you are relaxing this winter, it’s the perfect time to start planning for some outdoor home improvement projects for spring, and maybe even take advantage of some off-season discounts. Here are some things to think about that will save some money now, and get you ready to hit the ground running this spring when it’s time to spruce up your yard.
Get plans ready
Spend some time on the internet looking around at the different options that you have to choose from for your spring home improvement project. Gather some ideas that appeal to you and get a basic idea of what you will need to get your project completed. For instance, you might want to browse https://www.naturesseed.com/ to see which grass type you want to plant. You can stick to browsing or go as far as planning and measuring so that you know exactly what you need. Some home improvement sites even have software that will let you visually build your project so that you can see what it will look like.
Off-season sales
Winter is a great time to take advantage of some discounts at your local hardware store. They need the space to merchandise their winter-related items and will start marking down warm-weather goods late in the fall and into the winter months. You can find some great deals on any of these items.
- Landscaping basics: You could stock up on mulch, weedkiller, topsoil, fertilizer, or anything else that you know will need in the spring. You can usually find them all still outside, and usually deep-discounted.
- Outdoor play equipment: If you’re planning on putting one of these sets together for your kids, the kits are almost always cheaper in the winter.
- Decking: Since they’re not selling as much of the wood and hardware for decks, hardware stores will start advertising sales enticing you to buy to prepare for your project for the spring. If you have the storage space, you can get some huge deals.
- Equipment: If you’re thinking about buying some new tools for your yard, the hardware store will even have a lawn care equipment sale for off-season items. You could find a bargain for upgrading your lawn mower, weeder, edger, or some other implement to take care of your lawn.
Contractors
If you’re planning on hiring a contractor to help with the project, winter is their downtime as well. Once you have a plan in place for what you want to get accomplished, you could set up a few appointments with contractors to get some bids. You might even be able to swing a deal by scheduling a job early in the spring if they don’t already have something booked.
If you spend your time wisely and look around, you can really set yourself up for success in the spring. It’s a great feeling to know that you are fully prepared for whatever it is that you want to tackle outside once the weather breaks. Those long, cold months of winter can allow you the luxury of having the time to prepare yourself for your spring game plan so you can hit the ground running rather than postponing projects. And, your home improvement projects for spring will cost a lot less by buying everything that you need in the winter.