DIY home renovation is something thousands of people devote weekend after weekend to and there is something to be said for the satisfaction that comes from seeing a transformation that you effected yourself.
DIY jobs are particularly popular with those intending to sell their Waterloo Region home. After all, who really wants to invest too much money in a home they (hopefully) won’t be living in for too much longer?
However, too many people make certain common mistakes when renovating or improving their own home that sabotages their efforts and either leave a big mess that someone else has come in and clean up or a rather empty looking bank account (or both)
A successful DIY home project of any kind should ideally not only increase your enjoyment of your home but its actual value, even if it’s only by a little. Here then are some tips to keep in mind so that your next weekend project achieves everything you want it to:
Have a Plan
Every home DIY project, however big or small, needs to be planned out before you begin, even if that plan is just scribbled down in a notebook somewhere.
For example, if you plan to freshen up the look of your bathroom a bit, there’s usually more to it than popping to the home store and buying a big can of paint. Are you going to do something with the floors as well? Will you need to buy new bathroom accessories to go with the new paint job? How long do you think it is going to take, should people in the house make other bathroom plans for a few days? Will you need to make plumbing adjustments? If so, do you know how to turn off the water while you work? A little simple planning can really make all the difference
Have a Budget
Often what starts out as a small DIY project spirals out-of-control cost wise as people keep adding “just one more thing”. A budget should be a part of the plan. Allow a little extra if you must but try to stick to it as closely as you can.
Another example. The homeowner who intended to buy a fairly inexpensive new vanity unit for the bathroom. But when they get to the store they fall in love with a $2,000 model and buy that instead. Trouble is, now they only have enough cash left for plain white tiles to surround it, not the nicely patterned ones they’d planned on. The result is nowhere near as nice as it could have been and the whole project falls flat…
Don’t be Too Cheap
Saving money where you can is one thing but going too cheap can backfire on you in a big way. That carpet that is so much less than all the others you have looked at? Chances are it’s cheap for a reason, the quality isn’t there. Sure you save now but when it needs replacing in just a couple of years because it’s worn out already you’ll wish you’d spent that bit extra in the first place.
The same goes for getting help when you need it. If something is turning out to be a little more complicated than you had imagined, stop and call in the cavalry in the form of an experienced professional. It’s not admitting defeat, it’s simply being smart enough to know when your lack of knowledge could foul everything up and cost you big time.