Whether you’re working on a room or the whole house, updating your home can become quite expensive. Thanks to the ever-growing popularity of Do-It-Yourself projects, people have been saving money in places they never thought possible. Saving money is great, but don’t get stuck spending more time than is necessary on your project. Here are five ways that you can work smarter, not harder, on your DIY projects.
Prioritize and Make A Realistic Budget
Make a list of the projects that you want to complete and allot money for each of them. Put the high priority ones at the top of the list and work your way down. Having a realistic goal and budget in mind will ultimately keep you organized to ensure that you finish your project.
Set Up A Work Station
You don’t want you project to take up an entire room, nor do you want people destroying it when they continually walk by. Set up a station in your garage or a specific room in your house to ensure that your project won’t be disturbed when it’s in the beginning stages.
Read The Instructions
You can miss a lot of detail if you don’t read the instruction. Everyone thinks that they can figure it out on their own, but it ends up taking more time in the long run. Be efficient right from the beginning and read the instructions. That way you know what to do and what’s coming next.
Refurbish Instead of Replace
Buying an old table or shelves and sanding and painting them yourself can save you more time – and money – than completely re-making them. Scope out local garage sales or go antiquing to find what you’re looking for.
Know When to Ask For Help
Hiring a professional to get the job done sounds expensive. However, it could save you money in the long run if you’re not really sure what you’re doing. For example, if you’re trying to redo your bathroom on your own and you’re not familiar with plumbing, it might be time to ask for help. Hiring a professional from the beginning will ultimately prevent you from doing major damage to something that you’re not familiar with.
Do-It-Yourself projects are the best way to ensure that you’re getting exactly what you want for a price that fits in your budget. For projects that are just out of reach, hiring a professional is the next best option.
For more information on how to work smarter on your DIY projects, visit here.
Jodi Goldberg - RE/MAX Central 