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Many people looking to do home renovations consider them in spring, summer, or fall. But renovating in the winter? In Canada? Is this even possible? We’re Keystone Ridge, a Toronto home renovations contractor, and today we’ll look at whether interior and exterior house renovations are possible during winter months, and what sorts of issues you might encounter. Keep reading to learn more. Are Contractors Less Busy During Winter? The answer to this question depends on who you ask. Many people will claim contractors are not as busy during the long, cold, winter months. They will say this this works in your favour, because it means you have a greater ability to negotiate. However, others have found this simply isn’t true and that well respected contractors get booked up months in advance, and won’t negotiate their rates. So what’s the answer? You may just have to do your own research on this one – factors such as where you live and what work you are looking to have done will certainly factor into it. Why Renovate Your Home During Winter? So you have decided to do a home renovation, and are considering having it done in the winter. Let’s have a look at some of the reasons to do it in the winter, rather than waiting for nicer weather. 1. To Prepare Your Home For Sale In The Spring Market If you are looking to move, spring is the time to put your home on the market. Completing renovations during the winter means you’ll be in a strong position to enter the housing market once spring rolls around. Updating outdated fixtures, and discussing what you need to do in order to get your home ready to sell are things you can do in the winter. 2. You're Focused On Indoor Renovations Or You're Renovating A Condo Winter probably isn’t the best time to start knocking down exterior walls, or hiring a Toronto home additions contractor to build an addition onto your home. However interior changes such as redoing a bathroom, replacing outdated light fixtures, or putting in new flooring can easily be done even when it’s cold outside. As well, if you’re working on a condo remodelling project, weather doesn’t generally factor into things as much. 3. You Can Let Your Contractor Work While You Fly South Do you prefer to spend your winters in a warmer climate? If you can sort out all of the details of your renovation with your contractor, and have a reliable way to stay in contact with them while you’re away, then there’s no reason you can’t set everything up and then take off to your chosen vacation destination. Your contractor might appreciate this too, as they won’t have to worry about working around you. Challenges In Renovating Your Home During A Canadian Winter Despite there being benefits to doing renovations in the winter, there are also drawbacks. Next we will have a look at what some of the major challenges are, so if you do decide to undergo a winter renovation, you can be prepared for all eventualities. 1. The Cold, Obviously Cold weather can make a lot of things difficult. Winter isn’t the time to tear down an exterior wall or start an addition. This will limit the types of renovations you can do, and might affect factors such as insulation and the overall temperature of your home. 2. Clearing Snow And Ice Sometimes people assume if a contractor is doing work in the winter, they will also take care of clearing snow and ice from the property. This is not a safe assumption to make, and can leave you liable if someone is injured on a slippery surface on your property. Snow-and-ice clearing is something you will want to discuss with your contractor - it might be your responsibility, or maybe they will do it when required for an extra fee - just don’t assume it’s included. This is an especially important discussion to have if you are heading south while your renovations are being done - leaving the snow behind doesn’t mean you can just forget about it. 3. Digging Is More Difficult If your renovation is in a basement, or involves digging outdoors for any reason (to access pipes for example), cold weather and frozen ground is going to make digging more difficult. Consider any digging may take more time - and may add more costs - to your project. 4. Outdoor Painting Is Mostly Impossible If you’re looking to refresh the look of the exterior of your home with a fresh paint job, winter is not the time for it. Attempting to paint outside when it’s too cold can result in the paint not drying properly, and some paints simply don’t perform as well as temperatures dip to near or below the freezing mark. On the other hand, winter can be a great time to paint inside, because the dry air and indoor heating turned on will help the paint dry faster. 5. Your Pipes Need To Stay Warm One risk which comes with cold weather is having your pipes burst because water freezes inside of them. Although this is always a risk, it’s even greater if you move out of your home during a renovation, because the water won’t be flowing through them as you go about your day-to-day life. To avoid needing even more renovations due to a burst pipe, you can have the water line coming into your home heated, or have the water valve shut-off if you will be away. Contact Keystone Ridge Developments You’ve read the pros and cons of winter renovations and have decided you want to move forward with one. Your first step should be picking a renovation professional who is ready to help you work through all of the challenges associated with a winter renovations. We’re Keystone Ridge Developments and we’re up to the job. Contact us today, so you can have your dream home by spring.

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