As winter sets in and the bad weather arrives, there is a lot you need to do to winter-proof your home. It’s important to get on top of these tasks as quickly as you can, regardless of whether you have other projects planned. And with 90% of us planning to do home remodeling at some point, it is likely you’ll have competing priorities.

Having multiple projects before you winter-proof your home can also leave your short on funds as winter arrives. That can put stress on your budget.

However, you shouldn’t neglect to winterize your home because of budgets. The damage to your house in winter could end up being more expensive than the cost of investing in proper winterizing.

If you need to winter-proof your home but are concerned about money, consider getting a loan that can help cover those costs. Here are six reasons why you should get a loan to winter-proof your home.

1. It Will Allow You to Hire Pros

When you are trying to winter-proof your home, it is easy to quickly find yourself out of your depth. Even if you have experience with DIY projects and home repair, winterizing might prove an overwhelming task.

For example, one of your tasks might be to check on the state of your roof. Having the roof in good repair before winter hits is absolutely crucial. A damaged roof might not only let hot air leak out and cold air creep in, but it could also allow moisture and pests inside your home.

If you are in need of roof replacement or repair, that could mean that you roof has holes that critters might exploit to find a warm place to wait out the winter. That could lead to a long term problem. You don’t want to come back in spring and find that critters have made your roof their home. They could also spread to other areas of the home as well.

It isn’t just pests that could result in long term issues if your roof is damaged. If water sneaks in from rain or snow melt, that could also leave lasting damage. Water damage might mean mold growth or other structural damage in your home.

If you aren’t sure if your roof is ready for winter, you could talk to local roof installers or contractors to see if you are in need of repair to winter-proof your home.

The roof isn’t the only project that may require a professional. While you are getting your home ready for winter, you might notice things like the driveway, the windows, the fence and other areas that need repair. Sometimes you can do it yourself, such as putting weather stripping around windows. However, something like repaving a driveway may be a task that is too complex for most homeowners.

You also might not even be aware of what you need to do to winter-proof your home. Perhaps you are a new homeowner or have recently moved to a place with a harsher winter than what you’re used to. Different parts of the country have very different winters. However, local contractors will know what kind of load the weather is likely to put on your home. Reach out to them for help and expertise.

The important thing to remember is that there is no shame in reaching out for help. Getting a loan to help winter-proof your home isn’t vanity. It is a way for you to get the best possible outcome by hiring contractors who are experts in their fields. That is not a one-off investment. It is a long-term investment in your home and family.

2. It Will Result in Better Work

Even if you do have a lot of knowledge about home repair and winterizing, it doesn’t hurt to get the help of a professional. A loan could enable you to get a better quality of work done than you might be able to accomplish on your own.

A residential contractor is skilled in all kinds of work that can help you winter-proof your home. If you don’t have money for this kind of professional right now, taking out a loan to be able to hire them is well worth the cost. You will be sure to get high-quality, professional work done if you hire a skilled contractor instead of trying to go it alone.

Hiring a professional comes with several benefits. You know your winterizing will not be a temporary fix. You may be able to count on some jobs for years to come when they are done by a professional who knows what they’re doing.

If you are concerned about the cost of the loan, you could weigh that against repeated fixes. One loan for one long-term repair may end up saving you money over time depending on the complexity of what you are doing.

There are also some things that are downright dangerous for homeowners to try to do themselves. That includes things like HVAC maintenance, which is important before winter sets in and the weather gets cold. Your HVAC system connects to your electricity, so fiddling with that when you are not sure how it works could be physically dangerous.

A professional will be able to take care of that kind of maintenance more safely. That way you can be warm and safe during winter.

3. It Could Prevent an Injury

Speaking of safety, taking out a loan to hire a professional could literally prevent injuries. It isn’t just something as dramatic as a shock of electricity. Repairing the roof could result in a fall. Even cleaning up landscaping could result in some sort of athletic injury.

Injuries can have a major long-term negative impact on your life. Sure, a loan costs money now, but the cost of a lifelong injury or pain could be much, much higher. You only need to talk to an insurance agent to know just how high the cost of an injury can be over a long period of time.

For example, if you were trying to repair your roof to winter-proof your home and you fell off, you might be able to get patched up quickly, but you could find that you have long-term back pain as a result. That kind of pain could result in repeated trips to doctors and hospitals, as well as expensive medication to try to help manage your pain. That isn’t something you want to deal with just for the sake of avoiding the cost of a loan.

It isn’t just injuries to yourself, either. If you tried to cut corners by hiring a friend or someone who isn’t quite professional, they might get injured too. That could have not just financial but legal consequences if they decide to hire a personal injury attorney over the ordeal. A protracted legal battle will be far more expensive than the cost of a loan so you can winter-proof your home.

If you have any safety concerns related to a task to get your home ready for winter, it is better to get a loan and pay professionals. You will get better work that is performed more safely for everyone involved.

4. It Will Leave You Time for Your Own Projects

You also could get so caught up in the overwhelming task of trying to winter-proof your home that you lose sight of the things you actually enjoy. With so much to do to get your home ready for winter, you might find that your own interests and hobbies have fallen by the wayside. You could end up neglecting the things you love, from your hobbies to quality time with your family.

This can result in a lot of undue stress that is easily avoided by getting a loan to winter-proof your home. A professional job will cost more, but it will also probably be done more quickly. Even if the job takes a while to complete, you don’t need to do it yourself, which will leave you with free time for the things you cherish in life.

It is easy to devalue our own happiness, but it’s a vital part of our overall well-being. Whether your interests are art or automotive, creative or calming, the things that bring you joy have value. They contribute to your happiness and mental health and that has a value that goes far beyond the monetary.

While you are considering how to winter-proof your home this year, factor in your free time, your interests, and your values. While it may be the case that a loan is still not right for you, these are not inconsequential considerations while you are making your calculations. It is hard to compare money and time, but don’t completely lose sight of your own happiness while you are trying to figure out how to winterize your home this year.

5. You Can Still Control the Process

Many people fear that hiring someone else to do home repair means they lose control of the project. When you do a project yourself, you have total control over every aspect of the project. You control when and how the work happens, what it costs, and how it ultimately turns out.

For many people, it is hard to let go of that kind of control. It is only natural for us to want to control every aspect of our homes. This is the largest purchase most of us will ever make. We want it to be perfect in every way if this is where we’re going to spend most of our lives.

However, giving up just a little control can mean a better overall result. And taking out a loan to pay to winter-proof your house doesn’t mean completely losing control of home repair projects. A good contractor will still need and want your input at several points. You can still see the project as it unfolds and raise concerns if you happen to have any along the way.

Again, taking out a loan to winter-proof your home might also result in more free time for you. You may find that you don’t actually have strong opinions about repaving your driveway, but you do care about something else related to your home. Paying a professional could free you up to have more control over the things you care about most.

You also might have some items that aren’t directly part of your home that you need to worry about for winter. For example, if you have things in storage facilities, you might want to check on their own winter preparations to see if you need to move anything out of their facilities before the weather turns nasty.

6. You Can Still Pick and Choose Which Tasks Require a Pro

As mentioned above, you don’t need to totally give up control just because you take out a loan and hire some professional help to winter-proof your home. You can still decide that some tasks require a professional’s help while others do not.

Safety might be your best guide here if you aren’t sure how to divide up the work. Something like the HVAC system, which connects to the electricity, is pretty dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. However, if you want to install frameless glass doors or weather stripping for windows, those are tasks you can easily take on yourself.

This decision will be largely personal. Whether you choose to get a loan to winter-proof your home or not, dividing up the tasks will come down to your individual situation. What skills do you have? What is your personal comfort level with things like electricity, plumbing, and getting up on the roof?

These are major considerations when you are trying to decide how to divide up the work needed to winter-proof your home. Only you can really know the answer to these questions, so it is important to be honest with yourself. Know your comfort levels and limitations and never be afraid to ask for the help of a professional. You will deal with far less stress while getting your home ready for winter and end up with a happier result for everyone.