What are some remodeling projects that could be completed before the holidays? Cabinet resurfacing is one idea, so I am looking for ideas along those same lines.
Outside project
How about a new coat of interior paint? You could install a new front door, or storm door. Maybe you could check in your attic to see if you should add some insulation. Nothing could be better than spending the holidays washing your hands over a new bath vanity!
Enjoy,
Ryan
Hello there,
The kitchen is the most important room during the holidays, even guests gather around you in the kitchen when you preparing food, I would upgrade the counter tops, add a backsplash and upgrade the floor too if it’s dated. One other project that my clients always do before the holidays is changing the fireplace look, maybe because they want Santa to like their fireplace, lol, so I change the mantle, the hearth and surrounds and put a nice marble for a luxurious look.
Happy holidays!
MDESIGNS, McLean VA
Good morning, Through our experience we have found that usually small quick projects such as Painting, flooring, Gutters, Cement work or some outdoor work is usually best do to the fact that they are small quick and give a great fresh look to any home. You could also consider counter-tops along with back-splashes for the kitchen which are always great before the holidays.
You may not like this answer, but none;I’ve seen it too many times in the remodel work that something doesn’t get completed or you don’t think its going to. There is just too many other things for people to stress about if you can wait, and do your remdel after the holidays. If I was going to do any thing I would keep it simple, if you are having guest have the yard looking nice and the house neatly arranged which might require some shelving or storage space. A knew light fixture catches the eye.
It has been said already, and I would like to second this point. Any project that is done before the holidays should be a small and easily completed project. Too many times before I have seen a kitchen, bathroom, and or basement remodel get started before the holidays, and invariably unforeseen problems arise delaying completion. My company has performed several remodels before the holiday season, before our customer’s family arrives etc. And a few things that I remember from each of these remodels, even when completed on time or right under the wire is, the added stress and anxiety that our customers and my crew experience. For our customers we want the remodel process to be as painless and stress free as possible, but when you are anticipating family coming within a week and there is no flooring cabinets etc it becomes very overwhelming. I would recommend the small things, and when I say this, even small projects can make a large impact. Painting rooms can make a big difference in appearance, hanging a few of the family photos, artwork etc on the new walls makes the home feel more like a home. New lighting features, maybe the light over the dining room table is a bit dated, or something that you’ve wanted to change, adding cabinet knobs and pulls can change the look of existing cabinets quickly and at very little expense. If you have a porch, maybe changing the wall sconces, adding a chair or two putting out some flowers and if the existing entry door is old, looking a bit worn replace it. My suggestion keep it simple, simple can go a long way.
Giving your kitchen a facelift is something to consider. Choosing between cabinet refacing or new cabinets with new countertop is up to your vision, needs, budget and most importantly, if it can be done in a timely manner (you really don’t want to have your kitchen upside down and messy for the holydays.)
Kitchen. It is where you would entertain your friends and family and get the most attentions from them.
Many holidays seem to revolve around food, so I would say Kitchen remodel.
As with any project, you must also consider a “time” budget along with the actual cost. I find most Kitchen remodels take, on average, 4-6 weeks if you are purchasing new cabinets. Let’s assume you have already found a cabinet dealer you are comfortable with and a design has been agreed upon. It’s really not as bad as it sounds as much of the time during that period is spent making color choices, appliances, hardware and/or paint options. Once the cabinets are ordered, you should be given a rough time frame for when the cabinets will be ready for install by the dealer. Typically 3-4 weeks depending on how they are manufactured (Off the shelf cabinetry is generally ready in only a day or two). Following the cabinet order, it’s time to coordinate all of your color, hardware and appliance choices. It can be stressful, especially with a holiday quickly approaching. Yet through most of this, you still have your functioning kitchen. Roughly a week prior to estimated cabinet install, tear out can begin (if no appliance outlets or plumbing are being moved). This gives time to patch drywall, paint, flooring, etc. Cabinets, then countertops are installed once the flooring is finished. Then appliances and so forth. For a basic remodel, you’re only without your kitchen for a week or so. However, all that having been said, give yourself fudge room. For example, if you wish to remodel before Thanksgiving, start the process late September or very Early october as things become increasingly difficult to schedule around the two biggest Holidays of the year.
Hope this helps.
The absolute best remodeling project to do before the holidays is an interior paint project. As you stated before cabinet resurfacing is just a part of the interior paint projects. When it comes to painting these days its so much simpler and a lot more fun then what it use to be. Not to mention cheaper.
Majority of today’s paint have absolutely no VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) that are not only hazardous to humans but also are dangerous to our eco-system as well. If you feel you might be bothered by the new paint odor left behind, then don’t worry. Just plan your painting project completion date and the holiday deadline to be about two weeks apart. This will also allow a mandate of 1 week to pass before using or touching walls, cabinets, etc. because your paint of course will need to fully cure and as I’m sure this picture is being portrayed, imagine all your family members using walls to lean on to take shoes off or kids touching. You wouldn’t want to ruin their clothes because you didn’t allow your paint enough time to dry do you? Don’t worry it really takes 3 days for paint to cure but 1 solid week to be used and abused when it comes to scrubbing/ maintenance.
Painting these days is so much simpler because you can buy both your primer and paint combined in one can. Did I forget to mention how this can save you $$? Rather then having to deal with the hassle of buying rollers and paint trays for both your primer and paint seperately or even having to wash out your rollers, just save the roller and wrap it in plastic and put it in your fridge/freezer until your ready to use it again later. The fridge of course if you plan to use it that same day or over night. The freezer if your deciding to hold off a while. You can let your roller thaw out and the moisture on the roller will return like hamburger meat does when it thaws out. Do not allow any time for your roller or paint brushes to harden if your not using them. Instantly wrap them in plastic bags left from grocery shopping to help trap the moisture when not in use. If you do then don’t worry most paint is latex based and water soluble. So just soap and water with a good rinse is usually fine. Don’t use dawn soap because the degreaser will not allow paint to hold to the roller. Instead use what the pros use called TSP or Trisodium Phosphate. TSP is very cheap, like a $1.87 for 1/lb box? and its best for cleaning paint supplies or prepping walls.
Painting your interior walls is a real good way to brighten up old paint jobs. Before you start just remember to use a light spackle to fill in old nail holes. Depending on the soil your house sits on, most houses settle. So if you see stress cracks that horrify you, light spackling and painting usually are the best remedies for your home.
When it comes to painting, a few good tips to remember when deciding what sheen (glossiness the paint has) you should use are as follows: use flat only on ceilings, eggshell on all interior walls, satin or semi-gloss on cabinets, doors, bathrooms where moisture is a problem or human interaction occurs, and high-gloss on any shelving or funiture due to weight of objects/people sitting on top of the paint.
You want to use flat-matte paint to hide the imperfections such as cracks or holes the best due to its sheen having no light reflection. Where as on the opposite end of the spectrum, high gloss will allow imperfections to stick out like a sore thumb due to the light hitting the different angles of cracks, etc. Flat-matte paint is not washable what so ever. Because its flat, it usually has a chaulky texture and will rub off when moisture comes into contact with it. Where as the opposite end again high gloss is the best when it comes to being washable because its high sheen acts as a moisture barrier not allowing moisture to penetrate due to its slick-tight finish. So use again higher sheens for high traffic and the lower sheens for low traffic areas.
Painting doesn’t just occur inside. If weather permits and is above 55*F go outside and paint your porch a nice neutral or dark toned color. Just make sure the paint your using is a “floor” paint. Meaning you can walk on it. 
Again allow 1 week to cure before setting furniture on it. You can usually walk on floor paint after 3 days with light traffic.
Other things to know for DYI’s, an average can of paint covers 300-350 sqft of space. Measure the length and height of your work area before you go to the store. Do not exclude windows or door areas because it is just for estimated purposes of figuring out how much paint you need to buy. If your using paint with aggregate in it such as textured paint or DRYLOK these paints cover about 75-100 sqft per gallon. The second coat goes double the sqft regardless of type. Always always always, allow your paint to dry before you judge the color because the paint is usually lighter when wet and darker when dry. Darker colors may need a grey primer regardless of paint and primer combo such as deep tone reds or burgandys, and dark blues. Apply two coats to finish a proper coat finish. Buy the testers before going crazy with paint gallons. A good guestimate is that a 10 x 12 room needs at least two cans of paint for walls or 1 can of paint for the ceiling/ floor area.
The preparation for painting is usually minimum. Either use TSP to wash your walls or just plain water before painting. Allow time to completely dry. If you have smoke stains from a fire or nicotine, be sure to use a oil-based primer or a shellac based primer. Either or will allow smoke damage to not seep through where as latex based paints will allow it to seep through. Same goes for water damage from a leaking roof or pipes that bursted. To clean those tools used just buy a qt of mineral spirits to clean your gear or just simpy throw the tools away.
Ideas for things to paint: Walls, Ceilings, Cabinets, Doors, Trim, Porches, Fixtures, Funiture, Basement Floors, Garage Floors, Cement Floors.
Just a little bit more here because I’m sure you want me to stop talking about painting. If you are resurfacing your cabinets, I do know Martha Stewart has a line out for such projects and also Rustoleum as well. I sold both products before and I will admit, those who went Rustoleum LOVED the kits the company provided. Also, for resurfacing cabinets, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to replace the hardware with something more modern looking if the cabinets are old, don’t have any at all, or were factory installed. Factory installed cabinets usually have those round bulby looking things, remove those and add a nice satin nickle or bronze depending on what you fancy. Good luck as awlays and have fun!
As most people said: some projects might extend more than you want to and maybe ruin your christmas. Most people do that is fast and actually usefull is install energy efficient blinds. This will reduce your heat bill, give your house a complete new look and is a permanent upgrade.
Every couple weeks you have some holidays.Depend what for you is the holidays?Personally I’ll not want to start any project before holidays and then rush like a crazy in order to finish the project.project. Better is relax and enjoy the holiday and after that start something.
A good project will be anything that can make the house fill fresh like painting
It depends on how soon it is before the holidays. If it’s about 6 weeks before the holidays, I would say the kitchen, with guest bathrooms being a close second. If it’s only a couple of weeks before the holidays, I would suggest both exterior and/or interior paint.
Hi There,
My Name is Mike and i am from KG construction . From my experience over the past 15 years we have noticed that around this time of year smaller projects are usually the best to spruce up your house prior to the holidays. Some of these things might be to refinish your hardwood floors or replace them with some new flooring. Of course the obvious would be to paint the interior and exterior of your house. Replacing countertops is a good way to make your kitchen look updated without going the hassle of resurfacing your cabinets. Some times even a siomple powerwash to the exterior fo your house and driveway is a quick and inexpensive way to make your house look good.
Thank You…
New paint. New doors, Sealing windows, Heated flooring,Insulation in drywall , Instead of cabinet resurfacing you might want new cabinets , a new kitchen , bathroom, making sure your roof is ready for the new season.
kitchen cabinets flooring basement remodeling interior paint
I would say that a good project to start and finish before christmas would be painting or solar! Solar takes about 2 days to install and leaves you with nearly a $0 bill with your utility company
Cheers,
Silverline Home Remodeling Inc
Adding new fixtures lights or replacing the old ones.
An exterior paint main front wall can take a day or two and can make a dramatic change.