10 Budget-Friendly House Projects To Do In The Fall

As the leaves begin to change, it can feel like the perfect time to consider budget-friendly fall house projects. With cooler temperatures slowly making their way across the country, you might decide to spruce up your home before the holiday season.

Not to mention that by tackling fall house projects now, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy your beautiful home as the colder months roll in. Let’s dive right in!

Fall house projects can help you prepare your home for the upcoming winter season. In some cases, you can prevent winter headaches with a quick fall project. Beyond practical projects that boost the integrity of your home, you have the option to upgrade your house to suit your taste as you prepare your house for any holiday guests that may be heading your way.

A few budget friendly projects can safeguard your home in a potentially harsh winter. Plus, help your home look its best as the holidays begin.

Here are the top budget-friendly fall house projects to try:

As far as fall house projects go, painting the front door can be an easy one to check off your to-do list. Painting your home’s front door a different color can be a quick project that could easily be tackled in a single day. With a bucket of paint, you’ll be ready to DIY your front door in a matter of hours.

The beauty of repainting your front door is that you can transform your home’s entire look with this simple tweak. Although it may be an affordable project, a fresh coat of paint can elevate the look of your home.

Cleaning up the appearance of your home can be done quickly and affordably through pressure washing. Depending on the grime on your home, you could completely transform the look of your home from dirty to clean in a single afternoon of pressure washing.

You can find pressure washer rentals at most big box home stores such as Home Depot or Lowes. Typically, you’ll be able to rent out this tool for less than $50 per day. Pressure washing can be a dirty job, but you’ll be able to make your house stand out without feeling a pinch in your pocketbook.

Power washing presents a great alternative to an exterior paint job. You'll be able to boost the curb appeal of your home with a simple clean up instead of an exterior painting ordeal.

As winter approaches, your gutters may be under more stress due to the fall foliage. If your gutters are clogged with leaves, that could cause them to overflow and damage your roof in heavy rain or a snowstorm.

You can take action to protect your home by cleaning out the gutters and downspouts. With the help of a ladder, you should be able to tackle this project. If you don’t feel comfortable undertaking this task yourself, then check out local handymen in your area that would be up for the job.

If you’ve taken the time to plant a beautiful garden, it is important to protect it throughout the winter months. That’s where a perfect fall house project can help – spread mulch to protect perennial plants and flowers. A small layer of mulch can help to protect these dormant plants from the dropping temperatures.

You can find affordable mulch at most garden centers. You should also check out your city’s local parks and recreation department, as you may be able to find a free mulch program that could cut the costs of this fall house project even further.

If you live in a cold climate, you may enjoy a crackling fireplace during the upcoming winter months. Before you start enjoying hot cocoa around the fire, it is a good idea to inspect and clean out your fireplace and chimney.

Although you can tackle this project yourself, you may prefer to hire a professional for a few hundred dollars to make sure everything is in order.

And while you are taking care of the fireplace, take stock of your firewood as well. If you need more wood, now is the time to make that happen.

You can make your home safe in just 10 minutes by checking your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector. Take a few minutes to check the batteries and ensure the detectors are operational this fall. You may need to spend a few dollars to replace the batteries or replace the detector completely.

With a little bit of time, you can quickly cross off another fall house project. Plus, you’ll sleep better knowing that your family is safe.

As the summer winds down, you may want to consider giving your grill a thorough deep clean before winter sets in. Cleaning the grill is a very budget-friendly fall house project because it will just require a bit of elbow grease. Make sure that there are no food scraps or rust pockets before you retire your grill for the season.

While you are out on the deck, consider storing your patio furniture as well. You may not be using your pool chairs to catch sun rays until spring rolls around. But winter weather can age your patio furniture dramatically. With that, it is a good idea to tuck any patio furniture into storage when the cold weather makes it to your house. 

At this time of year, it can be a good time to have your home's cooling and heating systems freshened up.

The first thing to do is change out the furnace filter and HVAC filter. You should call in a professional to evaluate your systems and ensure there are no major repairs on the horizon.

As winter sets in, the heating bills typically spiral out of control. Although you may not be able to completely eliminate heating bills, you could potentially save by weatherproofing the usual suspects for lost heat. Windows and doors are notorious for having small breaks around the edges that allow heat to escape. Luckily, you can fix this with the help of weather stripping.

Take an afternoon to ensure that the weather stripping in critical areas of your home is intact. If it is not, then replace it. You could save money on your energy bills with this simple DIY fix.

In cold climates, concrete driveways may need a little TLC before winter comes. If you have any cracks in your driveway, consider taking the time to repair them with concrete caulk. Typically, any repair will need to set overnight. So plan to do this when there is no rain in the forecast. Before you add any caulk, make sure to pull out any weeds and clean the area to ensure the best results.

Without this simple fix, water may seep into these small cracks and freeze throughout the winter. That can lead to dramatically larger cracks in your driveway when spring rolls around. Take the time to tackle this project while the supplies needed are minimal. As the cracks expand, the costs to repair them will grow as well. Adding a sealant can help to prolong the effectiveness of your repair.

The cooler weather presents the perfect opportunity to tackle fall home improvement projects. With a small amount of money and a DIY attitude, you can tackle several budget-friendly house projects to prepare your home for the months ahead. When winter rolls around, you’ll be happy that you’ve tackled these projects to ensure your home feels cozy for the season.

If your home needs more than a few updates, the costs can run wild quickly. With that, you may want to consider taking out a personal loan to tackle bigger home improvement projects. Or simply continue to work on small home improvements each season to keep your home in good condition for years to come.