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Tips for approaching DIY home improvement

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DIY, home improvement, tools, home improvement apps
There’s nothing quite like a successfully completed DIY project

Every home improvement project is different. It could be something as simple as touching up cracks on mouldings, or something as complex as rebuilding the whole kitchen. And of course, there are many projects that fall somewhere in between these examples. But for most any home improvement project that you’re attempting to take on yourself, there are basic preparation steps that will apply. So just as a reminder for any readers who may be considering embracing their DIY spirits, here are a few of those steps.

Embrace Technology

You’ve heard the phrase in commercials and with regard to most every kind of entertainment or task out there: there’s an app for that. Now, generally speaking there’s a certain rugged nature to a personal home improvement effort that almost seems to preclude the involvement of technology. But that doesn’t change the fact that there are a lot of handy technological tools that can be of great assistance for any number of DIY home projects. Digital Trends, a trusted tech news and review site, lists various apps that demonstrate this fact quite clearly, displaying tools for measuring and mapping out rooms along with apps for levelling, among others. Embracing these types of apps is a great way to simplify some of the bothersome aspects of home improvement without sacrificing the satisfaction of doing a job with your hands.

Gather Your Equipment

If you’re the type to consider DIY home improvement tasks, odds are you have a tool kit somewhere in the house that’s stocked with the basics: a hammer, a wrench, some nails and screws, and perhaps even a power drill. But unless you have a full-fledged toolbox neatly provisioned with everything you might need for any project that comes up, you may find that a given project requires a trip to the store. This can be a bit of a nuisance, but you can get around some of the hassle by browsing online before you actually leave to gather the necessary equipment. Screwfix, one of the UK’s primary retailers for tools and hardware, even allows you to check stock online via its click and collect feature, so that you can be sure of a store’s inventory before actually going there. This basically means that you can figure out what you need and where to get it by checking your own tool kit and making a few clicks online.

Clear The Area

It’s commonly recommended that before painting, it’s necessary to clear and protect a room. Indeed the DIY Network provides a pretty thorough outline of how to prep the room before starting a painting project. I’d extend the same advice for any DIY home improvement project, because you just can’t be sure how big of a mess you’re going to make. You don’t need to go to extremes. For instance, if you’re installing a new shelving unit on one side of the living room, the couch clear across the room is probably going to be fine. But it’s always best to clear the immediate area of any furniture or decorations you wouldn’t want getting dirty, as well as to make additional preparations such as laying down a tarp, taping off surfaces, etc.

Set A Schedule

Finally, before starting any DIY project that’s going to disrupt the house at all, it’s vital to set and stick to a schedule. This is simply to avoid being in the position of getting halfway through a project only to leave the room messy or under construction as you get sidetracked with other tasks. It sounds obvious, but those who have undertaken extensive home improvement projects understand: getting it done on schedule is a huge relief.

Beyond these general tips, it pretty much comes down to the specific project. But by taking advantage of these ideas, you can set yourself up for the most efficient and manageable way of getting the job done.

Pic credit; Pixabay. Reproduced under Creative Commons agreement.

This is a guest post by Don Richmond, a freelance writer living in London. His interests include DIY projects, personal finance, and cooking..

16 thoughts on “Tips for approaching DIY home improvement”

  1. Setting a realistic schedule is the most important when it comes to home improvement. Or else everything will be half-done and the house will be a mess. Nice article, thank you!

    1. Setting a schedule and making it realistic are very important indeed. You also have to be flexible as things can can take longer than expected. thanks for commenting

  2. Awesome article, John. Your useful tips help me a lot, I’m going to try them out with my home remodeling project. Thanks for sharing & have a nice day!

  3. Brilliant post! And I agree with James, a realistic timeframe is the only way to maintain sanity sometimes. I’d also advise, for the bigger projects, knowing when to hire a professional. Although it might seem fun to learn how to cement or plaster yourself, it’s expensive and time consuming, so if it’s a skill you’ll only ever use once, you’ll almost certainly save time and money by hiring a pro.

  4. Hi john, your spot, on preparation is key. thank you for all the tips. if you ever need advice regarding garage door issues let me know.
    regards glyn

  5. Since we are moving next weekend, this article is very timely! The house we are moving into (newly renovated by landlord) is twice the size of our current place, so I know the temptation to fill it up with nice furniture will be there. However, I’m going to do my best to wait and let the house “tell” me what we need and where to put it when the time is right.

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