So it's overcast, a little breezy and just plain cold. If you don't feel like venturing out into the woods and it's too cold for a bike ride, how about a little home improvement!? This is my favorite time of year to dig into a quick remodeling project. It is a perfect project to tackle while the Patriots are banging up on some other hapless team and you can feel less guilty about those adult beverages you're enjoying while you're at it! Let's take a peek at a few projects that will make you AND your prospective buyers giddy.

The National Association of Realtors did a big survey and assigned a "Joy Score" to the possible projects that homeowners could undertake. The factor relates to not just how happy the homeowners were with the completed project and how it made their home better, but the joy they felt from completing the job itself. There's also a resale benefit that plays into that a bit, mentioned above.

The kitchen remodel was at the top of the list. I think it is pretty obvious that most of us spend time in this room every day and for a decent amount of time. Working from home, I'm in the kitchen at least 3 times a day and sometimes more. Hey, a guy's gotta snack!

The main reason for this room getting high marks is because every time you pass through it, the completed project makes you smile. Whether you made the "magic triangle" more convenient or just updated the appliances, the space is more welcoming and useful. If you decide to do a big visual change here, like updating the floors or painting the cabinets, the changes are super obvious and will most certainly have a big impact on every pass. Nice work!

I have often lauded the benefits of interior painting projects. "There's nothing as quick, easy, inexpensive and impactful as a fresh coat of paint, notes Badger Peabody & Smith Realty (formerly Badger Realty) agent, Bernadette Donohue". Whether you tackle a single room, a ceiling or even just an accent wall, you will remember and smile every time you walk into that room. Painting also gives a fresh, clean feel (and smell) to the room and can help with those winter doldrums in the throes of a January storm. Just remember to crack a window!

One area that I have never looked into myself but also scored very high is a closet renovation. I don't think most of us give a whole lot of thought to our closets but their impact on our lives is actually significant. There are even professionals out there that can help you organize your storage spaces. The main goal is to make the items you use most often the most accessible and the other items remain neatly organized out of sight. This can be accomplished with the addition of custom shelving and hanging bars as well as built-in drawers and other organizing measures. The benefit is more convenient access to what you need when you need it and far less digging through stuff you never use.

Although not a great project for this late in the season, replacement windows is another joy-inducing project that benefits you immediately. Not only will you no longer have to fight to get those windows open and closed, the heat savings alone will put a smile on your face. This also goes hand-in-hand with your painting project by affording you the opportunity to refinish those sills and maybe even bring a splash of color to an otherwise dull room.

Lastly, and while you're on an energy-efficiency kick, you can replace the front door. This one, assuming it is not a super-cold and blustery day, can be done this time of year without too much hassle. The heat savings is going to be great. The functionality of a new door will be heavenly. And I assure you it will bring a smile to your face every time you pull into the driveway. This is also yet another great opportunity to bring some color and pizazz to your home.

Home improvement projects are simply great. Granted, some of them are a bit of hard work and maybe even require a smidge of blood, sweat and tears. In the end, you will have an updated (insert room here) and it will give you joy every time you look at it or pass through it. Take advantage of a questionable forecast and do something nice for you, for your home and for your potential buyers. Just turn up the TV so you can watch the replay of another one of Tom's great drives!