Home Project Resolution Ideas for 2018

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It’s the start of a new year and time for new goals and resolutions. Are there home projects you’ve been wishing to improve or putting off for years? Make 2018 your year to accomplish those. Start saving, planning, and putting aside money and resources right now to have enough to quickly execute any of these home upgrades and renovations by the time the late spring and early summer arrives, and it’s prime time to start renovating. Here’s a list of 6 ideas to help give you inspiration on home improvement options this year.

Unfinished Basement Renovation

Do you have an unfinished or outdated basement? If the square footage is already there, take advantage of it. While basements can be convenient storage spaces, they make even more convenient entertainment spaces. Use your basement for spare bedrooms, offices, project spaces, or a recreational area for the kids. Other ideas include adding a home theater, wet bar, or family room – all of which look great if you go to list your house. While this can be a costly renovation, the standard return on renovated basement costs is reported at 90%.

Roof Replacement

If your roof needs an upgrade, it might not be too noticeable, but it’s important. If it is noticeably worn, it’s definitely time to replace the roofing. Not only does a new roof give your entire house a fresher appeal, a recently replaced roof looks great to homebuyers. Old roofing can lead to leaking and further damage to both the interior and exterior of your home if it gets out of hand. Another reason to upkeep on your roof, particularly if you’re trying to sell, is that you run the possibility of mortgage companies not lending money for homes if the roof shows signs of wear and damage.

Deck, Patio, or Porch addition

Adding some kind of extra outdoor space to your home, like a deck, patio, or porch not only gives you more space to work with, but it adds to the curbside appeal of your home. As much as a deck addition could be considered an aesthetic renovation, it’s equally useful. Use that space for an outdoor entertainment area for barbecues, outdoor furniture, places for your pets, etc. The quality of an outdoor living space is often near the top of people’s priority list when looking for a home and is a great addition to your home while you’re still living there.

Attic Insulation

Re-insulating your attic comes up frequently on many lists for all types of home renovation, and for good reason. While it might not seem like the most exciting home renovation project, it’s by far the one that will save you the most money in the long run. Especially in the winter, your attic can be the largest problem of releasing warm air from your home, causing your power bill to rise drastically.

Door, Home Exterior, and Entry Way

No matter how beautiful the rest of your house is, a sub-par home facade can leave a lasting impression on whoever is walking up to your door – guests and potential home buyers alike. That’s why it’s so crucial that these elements are well-done to gain you money in the long run. Replace your front door to a newer door that compliments the exterior of your home, or a wood door, or take the extra step and freshen up your porch, windows, and doors by replacing old awnings. Repaint the exterior of your home, or consider replacing the vinyl siding.

 

Spring Hiking in Southern Utah

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Although winter is still upon us, it won’t be for much longer. Especially living in St. George, the weather will begin to warm up and seem more spring like towards the end of February. As February approaches, it’s time to start planning early spring hiking trips to get ahead of the crowds.

For some hikes, however, the spring is too early to hike them. Water hikes, like Kanarraville Falls and the Zion Narrows, are far too cold in the spring to hike due to snow runoff and cold water temperatures. These hikes are recommended for the hot summer months, when the water is pleasantly cool to counter warm temperatures. Hikes like Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park are also advised to be cautious during the spring due to parts of the trail that may be icy or frozen, even during the spring.

Cassidy arch

Located in the heart of Capitol Reef National Park, this trail leads to a red bridge-arch that provides a good vantage point for a photo opportunity of the bridge and hikers that traverse to hike it. This bridge was named after Butch Cassidy, which is a perfect namesake considering the landscape surrounding it. The trail winds along the Grand Wash Trail and the Scenic Drive, sitting at a slightly higher elevation which is another reason this trail is great for landscape photography. The trail is 3.5 miles roundtrip and is an easy hike for all ages and skill levels.

Navajo Loop

Navajo Loop is a must-hike when visiting Bryce Canyon, and is often combined with the Queen’s Garden trail to make a longer hike to see more of the park. Navajo Loop itself is a moderate hike at 1.4 miles roundtrip, and takes under two hours to finish. It visits some of the parks most famous hoodoo formations, like Thor’s Hammer, Wall Street, and Twin Bridges. The trail descends 500 ft from the rim at Sunset Point into the canyon floor of the park, which is why it is a great immersive hike for the short time it takes to hike the loop.

Observation Point

The Observation Point trail at Zion National Park isn’t quite as traveled as Angel’s Landing, but provides a stunning view of the entire canyon from the backside – at an even higher elevation than Angel’s Landing. In fact, you look down on Angel’s Landing on this hike. This hike is a long, difficult hike, however, at about 8 miles round trip and with steep switchbacks, drop offs, and strenuous stretches that classify it as a full-day hike at 5 hours. The hike has full exposure to the sun, which is why it is favorable to do it in the spring or fall when temperatures are cooler than June-August.

Double Arch

Often seen on calendars and travel photos of Utah, the Double Arch trail in Arches National Park is the shortest hike on this list at a half mile in length. The Double Arches are two separate sandstone arches that share the same base on either side. This formation is rare due to the different type of erosion of the rock.