Home Improvement: Should You
Do-it-Yourself? (continued)

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Look for Any Help You Will Need

Yes, it is given that you are a do-it-yourselfer, but even when you do your home improvement by yourself, you don’t have to do it BY yourself. Note that some jobs may take two or more days to be accomplished. Thus, asking for some help, maybe from your family or friends, will make your project safe and proper. Just schedule somebody you know to assist you even before you encounter these jobs.

Another reason to support this piece of advice is that most home improvements involve a range of different tasks. Each task oftentimes requires knowledge and skills, from design and construction to wiring, plumbing, and finish work. As what most of the experts often suggest, the overall remodeling project might go far more smoothly if you hire a pro for certain job parts. For example, when remodeling your beloved kitchen, chances are you might want to install the flooring and cabinets yourself but bring in plumber for installing new piping.

The bottom line is, just be realistic about your skills. Never try to take on work that you won’t be able to accomplish or may end up looking unprofessional. Simply avoid intricate work or work that requires a high degree of craftsmanship, unless you’re competent enough at the job.

If you do cry for a professional help, it is always critically important to make sure that they are qualified and reliable. Of course, there are some ways to find pros, and perhaps the best way to find good help is through personal recommendations. Otherwise, you can find qualified, pre-screened plumbers, electricians, contractors and similar professionals on the web through a certain online service.

Gather the Necessary Tools and Resources

Before you start working with your home improvement project, it is important to make sure that you have gathered on site the tools, materials, and other resources you will need to complete the task. If in case your current tool kit doesn’t include certain specialty tools that would be of great use, then try exploring for some stores to buy or rent them.

Here are some key materials, fixtures and appliances that should be scheduled for delivery:

• Tiles
• Windows
• Cabinets
• Plumbing fixtures

Always consider those materials before you begin remodeling your home as far too many people plunge into demolishing their old kitchen only to find out that their new cabinets have been back ordered for delivery in twelve weeks. Yes, that oftentimes happens.

Explore the Need for a Permit

Early in this article, I mentioned about the need for a building permit. Now, if you have decided to obtain one, then try to visit your city or county building department to find out whether permits are needed. This will even help you to discover any requirements for zoning or building. However, a piece of advice is that, be sure that the adjustments you plan or think to happen are possible. Not only is the possibility worthy of notice, but also the legality of the changes. Both are important before engaging yourself too far into planning.

Another reason for asking a permit or knowing requirements is that, chances are good that any room addition will be governed by zoning and setback restrictions. So, if your intention is simply to do your own work, be sure that your town allows this. There are some cities out there that require electrical and plumbing work to be handled and accomplished by a licensed pro.

Also, there are some areas where permits are needed for work that leaves great impacts on the structure of the house, or that involves changing electrical wiring or plumbing. There is also a great possibility that you will need a permit if your intention is to change the roofline, reposition the plumbing fixtures, or move a bearing wall. Nevertheless, you may not need one for repairing doors and windows, installing new floor coverings, or making some minor repairs. The point here is if a permit is required; don’t just proceed doing your own work without it. That’s simply it!

Consider and Make a Timeline

Another major key for proper planning is to carve out a block of time that is long enough to get the work done. Then, set certain mileposts for completing the work phase within that framework you’ve made. Just be aware that doing your own work will probably take you longer than you expect. As commonly noticed, it is likely to take you twice as long. So, within the established timeline, try accounting for the delivery time of anything that must be special order, such as the materials, fixtures, and appliances.

Set Up Your Systems

In every home improvement project, it is typically a great idea for the homeowner to rent a dumpster and have it delivered before any major demolition starts. Perhaps it is great to coordinate delivery with start-of-work as this saves you from paying excessive rental fees. However, if certain contractors and other professionals will be involved in the remodeling project, it is best to set up a meeting to tackle any related matters, such as logistics as well as the work that needs to be completed. For some, this is also the best time to form daily schedules, including ground rules such as use of bathrooms, working hours, and so on. As a homeowner, the one primarily involved in the planning, it is necessary to make sure that you have asked the cell phone or other contact numbers for all the key players.

Now, we already have tackled the preliminary questions to ask and the basic steps to take for proper home improvement planning. So, why don’t you consider home designing now? I think that sounds good, right? Well, the next thing that you should consider is the following:

Considering Jumpstart Home Design

I am sure that all of you have seen those motivational speakers on public television, the ones who can fix all life’s troubles with few simple guidelines. Well, as you may have noticed, the things they say make absolute sense. How do you know it? Have you noticed the camera always cutting away to the audience, who either smile knowingly, have tears glistening in the corners or their eyes, or nod in rapt agreement? Those expressions are concrete evidences to support their being sensible. So, if those speakers can turn lives around with a few simple rules, so you can.

So, below are the commonly recommended steps for anyone designing a home or addition. Just read on.

Sloppiness? Start Out of It!

Some of the amateur designers these days always want to jump in and start drafting long before their home improvement plans are fully worked out. I guess, it is nice for you to know that architects don’t just sit down, think for a minute, and then start drawing up detailed plans of the remodeling. In fact, the real design work gets done in rough sketches. Yes, rough sketches! Sometimes hundreds of them. Drafting then is the final stage, and for some architects, the least important. So, start out sloppy. There’s nothing wrong with it, after all.

Tip: Don’t rely on Computer-aided drafting (CAD) programs, that are considered as particular dangers for amateurs since they make half-baked ideas look polished long before they’re ready. So, if you don’t invest enough time and effort at the outset, such program won’t help you. It will just provide you a flawless-looking set of lousy home design plans.

Restrictions? Embrace Them!

During the process of home improvement planning, you might face almost infinite options and you literally couldn’t create them unless you had some kind of guidelines to hem you in. So, since this is the usual case, don’t just think of physical or any monetary limitations as a hindrance. Why don’t you consider certain restrictions as your greatest aid in decision making? Just be positive.

Design from the Inside Out

Thinking for a floor plan? If so, don’t just regard it as a big sheet cake to be carved up into the right sized pieces. As a person envisioning something great for your own home, start planning with the principal rooms and then let things accrete outward. While doing this, don’t worry about the lining on the walls as you can always tidy things up a bit later. At this point, just concentrate on what you are doing from the inside out.

Form a Hierarchy

Most experts often consider ranking the importance of every room beforehand. Accordingly, this approach will allow you to decide which rooms deserve the best view, the most expensive finishes, and so on. Usually, the major rooms such as the living room, master bedroom, and family room top the list, but still it is your call. If you find that cooking is your big passion, for instance, then I think the kitchen should be prioritized. You could design your kitchen by setting it in an area where the garden is accessible, with a fancier ceiling, or maybe some special features. Just listen to your call.

Adhere to Good Solar Orientation

According to some experts, adhering to good solar orientation will make many of your home improvement planning decision for you. You can face your living areas toward the sunny southern exposure, and have your utilitarian areas like the garage, laundry and bathrooms face north. Aside from that, you can make expose your rooms to sunlight at the time of day that they’re used most. In particular, you can set the breakfast room facing east for morning light, or the dining room facing west for afternoon sun. You also have the chance to orient bedrooms in accordance with your preference for morning or afternoon sun. It is important to note however that not every site can accommodate these mentioned ideals. But as the aphorism goes, “the closer you get, the better”.

Get Stuck On a Design Problem? Don’t Just Fizzle Out!

We can’t deny the fact that there are really some times that we find ourselves stuck on a certain problem. So, if for instance you get stuck on a design problem, don’t just fizzle out and leave well enough alone. Perhaps the best thing to do is to quit for a few days and then go back to your plan with a fresh eye and positive mind. Simply repeat this cycle until every problem is solved. As often said, creative success demands an attention to detail, and this is true in architecture as well as in life.

So, I guess I’ve told you enough about proper planning for home improvement. If you are still with me after ranting those stuffs, then congratulations and good luck to your home improvement project.

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