A DIY home remodeling project can consume your spare time for weeks if you let it. Following these tips during the planning stages will help ensure you are prepared for the task.
Take Care of Yourself
This may not seem like a home improvement tip, but anyone who has ever completed a remodeling project will tell you it is absolutely necessary. Here’s why: Home improvement projects are incredibly stressful, and they demand a considerable amount of time, energy, and attention. Unfortunately, that can cause you to neglect other equally important things, if not so obviously pressing, as your torn-out kitchen cabinets.
Be sure to properly care for yourself during the entire project, starting with the planning stages. Eat foods that nourish your body instead of grabbing takeout or hitting the drive-through every night. Even if your kitchen is in disarray, you can still grill or break out a hot plate to make meals. Now might be a great time to break out that fantastic crock pot collecting dust in storage.
In addition to proper nutrition, you also want to stay hydrated while you are working. This is critical during the hot summer months, when you’ll lose essential fluids and salts through sweat. Keeping hydration packets in your bag makes it easy to restore electrolyte levels no matter where you are in a project. Finally, try to get at least seven hours of sleep at night. Unless you renovate for a living, your body might not be used to this type of work and will appreciate the extra recovery time.
Learn Necessary Skills
You’ll want the skills needed to design and complete any DIY project you take on. If there is an aspect you are unsure about, but are interested in learning, go for it. Take a course online or at a local community college, or ask a friend with the desired skill to show you the ropes.
Leave yourself plenty of time to get comfortable with whatever skill you want to learn. This will not only make your renovation go more smoothly, but it will also ensure the finished result is of higher quality.
Prepare Your Tools
Having the right tools is almost as important as your skill set. Before you get started, take an inventory of your tool collection. If you are missing key tools, look into buying, renting, or borrowing them. Many big box stores rent tools ranging from hand tools to heavy equipment, so you may be able to get without purchasing anything. Then again, getting new tools is one of the best perks of a DIY home improvement project.
Make a note of anything that needs parts and exactly what they need (batteries, saw blades, dust bags, etc.). Then, go through consumables, such as tape, screws, caulk, and cleaners. Order these supplies well in advance of the project’s start so you don’t have to make a last-minute run for them and hold up progress.
Know When To Ask for Help
Even if you are incredibly handy, there may be times when you get in over your head. Other times, you may just need an extra helping hand to maneuver large parts or operate extra equipment during a project. Either way, it is essential that you know when to ask for help.
Trying to complete a project that you should not can result in major problems down the road. For example, you might fail an inspection and have to hire a pro after doing the work yourself. Alternatively, you could have a water (or worse, gas) leak and not realize it until it is too late. Either way, the outcome is definitely not what you want. Just hire a professional or ask a knowledgeable friend if you are unsure about anything.
Having the skills and tools necessary before you start will help any renovation project go more smoothly. Eating right and staying hydrated will also help ensure you have what it takes to finish the job.
