Home improvements to do over the summer

Summer has a way of transforming our homes into bright and social spaces. With more natural light, longer days, and greater opportunity to entertain, it’s a time of year when you can really use your house to the full.

While summer can go a long way to making you feel more positive about your property, it’s also the ideal time to make home improvements. Not only is it easier to carry out these jobs in the first place, tittivating here and there makes you feel proud to invite to people over.

Want to level up your home but don’t know what to do? Read on for the best home improvements to focus on over the summer.

Get a new boiler

If you’ve had your boiler for over 10 years, your energy bills are increasing for no reason, or your radiators take longer to heat up, it may be time to replace your boiler with a more efficient model.

Summer is the best time to replace an old and tired boiler because you won’t need to worry about a cold snap leaving you freezing and without heat while the replacement is being installed.

Spruce up your garden

You’re probably going to want to spend a lot of time in your garden in the summer, so make it a space you want to spend time in!

Invest in a mixture of deciduous and evergreen plants to make sure your garden won’t look bare in the winter. While it’s important to pick plants you find beautiful, be sure to choose some fragrant flowers to appeal to all the senses.

Likewise, always read the tags to make sure you’re selecting plants that will be able to survive in your garden’s conditions, especially shady areas.

Refresh external paint

Giving your home a fresh paint job can go a long way to making it look newer and more inviting. Paint can also act as a protective layer, preserving the lifespan of the materials used on the façade. Summer is the best time to paint the exterior of your home, as you need a stretch of good weather to allow enough time for the paint to dry.

Generally, houses need a refresh every five years or so, depending on the kind of render or additional decoration. For example, multi-tonal Tudor-style fronts can look tired very quickly. Refresh the dark wood and cream render for ultimate impact to show the house is well cared for, increasingly kerb appeal at the same time.

For houses with a more standard render, be as creative as you like! Why not paint the front door a striking colour to contrast with the exterior walls? Or paint the masonry in a complementary tone?

Install solar panels

Install solar panels in the summer to maximise on the sunnier weather and balance more intense usage in the winter. With the cost of solar panels becoming notably more affordable, you may even be able to earn some extra money from any excess energy you produce via the Smart Export Guarantee.