Fall in Baton Rouge may not bring the dramatic color changes and freezing temperatures found in other parts of the country, but it still offers homeowners a great opportunity to get some work done around the house. After a long, hot Louisiana summer, cooler days can make it much more enjoyable to spend time outside and tackle the projects that may have been put off during the hottest part of the year. Fall is also a practical time to clean up outdoor spaces, clear away accumulated debris, and get your home ready for the months ahead.
If your fall to-do list is growing, here are five home projects worth considering.
1. Give Your Yard a Fall Cleanup
Between summer storms, fast-growing vegetation, and months of outdoor activity, yards can accumulate plenty of debris by the time fall arrives. Start by walking around your property and looking for branches, dead plants, overgrown shrubs, weeds, and areas that could use some attention. Clear leaves and other organic material from flower beds, patios, walkways, and other outdoor spaces.
Fall can also be a good opportunity to trim back overgrown landscaping and remove plants that have reached the end of their season. For a particularly large cleanup, such as removing extensive brush or several trees, the amount of debris can quickly exceed what your regular trash service can handle. In those situations, having a yard waste dumpster available can make the cleanup easier by giving you one place to collect everything as you work.
2. Clean Out the Garage
The garage has a way of becoming a storage area for everything that doesn’t have a permanent home. Summer equipment, old boxes, unused furniture, sports equipment, tools, and miscellaneous household items can quickly take over the space. Before the holidays and cooler months arrive, fall is a good time to take everything out and decide what you actually need.
Sort your belongings into a few simple categories: keep, donate, recycle, and discard. If you’re dealing with only a few unwanted items, regular disposal or donation may be all you need. A larger garage clean out, however, can create a surprising amount of waste. A temporary residential dumpster can be useful when you’re clearing out bulky items and don’t want to make repeated trips to a disposal facility. Once you’re finished, you’ll have a cleaner, more functional space heading into the new season.
3. Finish an Outdoor Improvement Project
If you have been thinking about replacing a fence, improving a patio, refreshing landscaping, or making another outdoor upgrade, fall can be a comfortable time to get started. Baton Rouge homeowners have plenty of outdoor project options, from updating garden beds to replacing worn fencing or clearing areas for a new outdoor living space. Just remember that improvement projects can generate their own share of debris. Old fencing, landscaping materials, broken concrete, lumber, and other discarded materials need somewhere to go once the work begins. Planning for debris removal before starting the project can keep the work area organized and help you avoid having piles of discarded material sitting around your property.
4. Tackle a Room You’ve Been Putting Off
Not every fall project needs to happen outside. Maybe the spare bedroom needs a refresh. Perhaps you’re finally ready to replace old flooring, update a bathroom, remove outdated cabinets, or reorganize a room that has become a catch-all for household clutter. Fall can be a great time to make progress on these projects before the holiday season gets busy.
Home renovations often produce more waste than homeowners initially expect. Old carpet, flooring, drywall, cabinets, fixtures, and other materials can quickly fill a garage or driveway. For larger renovation projects, arranging for a dumpster ahead of time means you have somewhere convenient to put materials as they’re removed instead of letting debris accumulate throughout the house.
5. Clean Up After Storm Season
Fall is also a natural time to assess the property after the year’s storms and heavy weather. Look for damaged branches, fallen limbs, worn fencing, damaged outdoor structures, and other debris that may have accumulated over the summer. Even smaller pieces of storm debris can make a property look untidy and become more noticeable as you prepare your home for the holidays. If a storm or cleanup project has left you with a substantial amount of debris, a dumpster can provide a convenient central location for collecting materials while you work. Taking care of these projects now can also give you a cleaner slate going into winter and the new year.
Make the Most of Fall in Baton Rouge
Fall doesn’t have to mean taking on a long list of complicated home improvements. Sometimes the most worthwhile projects are the simple ones: cleaning out the garage, getting the yard back in shape, finishing a renovation, or finally clearing away the debris you’ve been meaning to deal with.
For larger projects, planning for waste removal can be just as important as planning the work itself. redbox+ Dumpsters of Baton Rouge provides dumpster rental options for homeowners and contractors working on renovations, landscaping, clean outs, and other projects throughout the Baton Rouge area. Whether you’re preparing your home for the holidays or simply want to start the new year with a cleaner property, fall is a great time to get started.