Month-by-Month Home Improvement Calendar

Do you find your home improvement inspiration the old-school way through clipping photos and articles from magazines? Are you one of the 300 million Pinterest users racking up an average of 667 pins? Or do you plan out your next home project with a virtual home design program? No matter the planning method, odds are pretty high that you have a longer home project list than you can possibly complete in a lifetime.

Keeping your house updated and in tip-top shape is a never-ending job, so where do you begin? Check out our list of home projects to tackle by month to help you balance the fun and the necessary projects with fewer headaches.

List of House Projects to Tackle

January

• It’s time to get organized. Start with a small closet, the utensil drawer, your dresser or the spare bedroom. Write down the rooms or areas you plan to tackle and chip away at getting organized each day. Start with decluttering and then pull one organization idea from your dream board to implement.

February

• Take care of the dust bunnies. Check your furnace filter to see if it needs to be replaced, wipe down your dusty baseboard trim, vacuum heating grates and move your refrigerator to clean the coils. Now is also a good time to look through your inspiration boards for ways to keep your cleaning supplies organized.

March

• Give your home entertainment solution a face lift. It’s no secret—Midwest winters are cold and they last for what seems like forever. That means you’re also likely spending more time watching movies, binging the latest series on your favorite streaming service or playing games. March is a good time to pull out your inspiration board and see how you can spruce things up. Maybe you’ll finally get around to installing the wall mount for your TV, or adding crates to organize your games and controllers.

April

• Break out the paint. From chipped trim to a new accent wall, April is often filled with rainy days and chilly weather, making it a good month to work on freshening up your interior spaces. Tackle the smaller painting jobs first—window, door and baseboard trim—and move on to larger projects like painting cabinets, doors and walls.

May

• Makeover your entrance. First impressions are important (and coming home to a beautiful front yard doesn’t hurt either), so invest in a few updates. A few popular spring options include painting or staining your deck or front steps, painting your front door to add a pop of color, mounting flower boxes under your windows and adding seasonal décor.

June

• Give your windows a little TLC. You don’t need to replace your windows to make a big dent in how they look (and improve energy efficiency). Caulk and use spray foam to seal around the window to prevent cool air from getting out (and hot air and bugs from getting in), and sand and paint window molding for a clean look.

July

• Spruce up your driveway. If you have a paved driveway, the warm and dry July weather lends well to repaving or resealing a cracked driveway. If you have a gravel or concrete driveway, take time to pull weeds and use a lawn edger to create a clear separation between your lawn and driveway (or sidewalk).

August

• Deep-clean your garage. After several months of warmer weather and more time spent outdoors, your garage has likely seen better days. Whether it’s lawn and garden tools, miscellaneous sporting equipment or just an extra layer of dirt and grass clippings, take time to organize and deep clean your garage. After you’ve cleaned up, clear things out of the garage and use a biodegradable cleaning solution, a garden hose and a few push brooms to scrub the floor. Want to add in something fun from your list of ideas? After your garage is all cleaned up, add a bench for changing shoes and hanging coats or a space to hang seasonal recreational and yard equipment.

September

• Conduct a safety inspection. Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are working and replace the batteries. If you don’t have one, install a fire extinguisher in the kitchen for starters. Next, move on to a more thorough, room-by-room inspection of electrical outlets and appliances. Make note of any strange odors or sounds coming from outlets or appliances. Be sure to also schedule an annual furnace tune up to ensure everything is functioning as it should.

October

• Winter’s coming—get ready! Check your shovels to make sure all bolts and screws are tight, stock up on ice melt, wrap your windows in plastic to keep the heat in (and the cold out), insulate your outlets and put a new filter in your furnace. October is also a great time to build a set of garage shelves to help you stay organized, while still keeping your shovel and salt easily accessible.

November

• Give your bathroom some much needed attention. From minor updates like swapping outdated faucets and re-caulking the tub to bigger changes like installing a new vanity or toilet, a few, lower-cost changes can go a long way in making your bathroom feel brand new.

December  

• Deep clean your floors. Now that you’re spending nearly all of your time inside (thanks to the chilly winter weather), you may be looking at your floors and noticing a lot more stains and scuff marks. Break out your bucket, sponges and knee pads and scrub your hard floors by hand and apply a polish or other treatment to help prevent or slow down wear and tear. Be sure to also use a steam cleaner on your carpet and furniture to lift up set in stains (and germs too!).

Check out our tips for stocking a pantry, learn what a HELOC is and more with our monthly Home Life blog posts.