5 Things To Do Before a New Home Project
We all have different reasons for wanting to DIY a project. It could be that you don’t want to wait for someone to do it. Or maybe you can’t (or don’t want to) pay what someone is charging. Or maybe, like me, you like the challenge. You like knowing that you made something, built something, fixed something, or did something. But as good as that feeling of satisfaction can be, it’s no excuse to blindly jump into a big home project without some forethought. So, being the planner that I am, I’m going to share some things to keep in mind before you start.
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Choosing the DIY Route
If you asked my husband to describe me, he’d probably start by saying how great I am (obviously), pretty and smart (because he’s a smart guy himself), a good mom, etc. All the usual things you would expect want your significant other to think about you. But if he really got to talking – and trust me, he will – he would probably also mention that:
- I’m a planner
- I always have a project going. Always.
If you stick around here long enough, you’ll see that I much prefer to DIY my way through things before calling in professionals. By professionals, I mean paying someone to do it. But before we jump into how I go about planning my big DIY projects, I should mention that even though I prefer the DIY route, I do still have the help of one very handy professional…he just doesn’t get paid to be one. (Sorry, Dad, I know you’re a pro but I don’t think my payments in the form of dinner count!)
My dad has always been good at home projects (and lots of other things, but let’s limit ourselves to home projects today). I can’t think of a single time where he wasn’t able to take care of, fix, replace, build, *insert other verbs here* anything related to the house and home. My dad taught me to do a lot of the things he knows and that has only been an asset to my life.
Do I know as much as him? No.
Will I ever be as good as him? Also no.
BUT, will I be afraid of taking on a DIY project? No!
And to me, that has been the most important takeaway from all the hours (and hours and hours and hours) I’ve spent working with and watching my dad (even if I was just the flashlight holder for a lot of it!) Sometimes you just need the courage to start.
MY TOP 5 TIPS FOR PLANNING A BIG DIY PROJECT
As a disclaimer here, I want to mention that there are times when using a professional and/or asking for help are necessary, but I’ll write more about how I make those decisions later on. For now…
Research. Then Research Some More.
Raise your hand if you are a Pinterest junkie and have dozens of boards dedicated to your “Dream House”, “Dream Kitchen”, “Dream Office”, etc. Just me? I didn’t think so. But when it comes time to actually start planning for a project, what do you do? How do you start?
One of the most important things to do at the beginning is to narrow down what you really want. If you looked at my Pinterest board for Kitchens, you might notice that a lot of them have pot fillers behind the oven. So I ask myself – do I really want a pot filler? Well yeah, if I’m living in my dream house, why not? But what I’m really drawn to in those pictures is usually the openness or space around the stove (that allows room for things like a pot filler).
Be hard on yourself for this step. You have to know what you want before you can figure out how and if you can get it. Which brings us to my next. Item:
Make a Real Project Budget
Let’s be honest about adulting – budgets are one of the most dreaded things to handle. It’s even more tricky when you’re trying to budget for a home project, especially if it’s a big one and involves a kitchen or bathroom!
There’s no way to beat around this one. Put on your big girl pants and take time to look up actual prices of things – you don’t want to get halfway through to find out that the “budget” you did on the back of your Target receipt that basically said “Home Project Budget – $1,000” is off by 75% and your new “budget” is $1,750. Plus Tax. And don’t forget Shipping/Delivery!
Take the time upfront to figure it out. It will help you stick to a budget and you may even save some money!
Be Realistic About Your Constraints
You’ll see some posts later on about our kitchen renovation. And while I might describe my dream kitchen as having a wall of windows, a walk-in pantry, a butler’s pantry with a wet bar, and double islands, that’s no where near what we actually did.
Do I have space for all those things? No.
Do I have an extra $75k sitting around to MAKE space for all those things? Nope.
Reality Check here – Do I NEED all those things? Certainly not.
Truth is, our kitchen didn’t even really need renovated. It was nice. Pretty functional. And had nice finishes. But for us our reality demanded more.
More functionality for a growing family.
More counter space for canning season.
And more custom features (for a homey feel).
We knew we didn’t need to do major work like adding a walk-in pantry, but we did need a large island. Looking at all of our options with this point of view helped us come up with a space that was tailored to just what we needed.
Pick Your Top Three
You’ve figured out what you need, you set your budget, you became realistic about your project…now forget all the things you think you need and decide on your top 3.
Like it or not, things change as you go. You might be given a shorter time frame. You might run short on money. And you might not be able to get exactly the same things you saw in the picture on Pinterest. (We can always blame COVID, right?!)
Pick your top 3. Those should be your non-negotiables. Maybe you’re set on a certain chandelier, wall color, and side table. That’s great! But when you can’t get the exact sitting chair to go with the side table (that’s in your top 3), you must compromise. And then MOVE ON!
Easier said than done. I get it. I don’t say to pick your top 3 so that you only get three things you really wanted. You might get much more than that and you might get it all. But if when you can’t get the exact outcome, come up with a new solution or a new option and move on so you can enjoy your project!
Get Creative!
Think outside the metaphorical box!
This has helped me so many times get what I wanted out of a project. Example: Our Bed. I looked and looked and looked to find a bed I liked. Most were simple with a cushioned headboard of sorts. They were also way out of my newlywed budget.
What’s a girl to do? Put the box spring and mattress on the floor for a while? Maybe. I considered it. But instead I got creative – I built our bed. Yes, the bed we slept in for the first 7 years of our marriage.
The only warning my husband got for this project was a picture of me with a car full of lumber. And with a few hours work (and some help from my professional…), we had a bed with the padded headboard I wanted and cost less than half of what we would have paid for an “actual” bed. I’ll take that as a win!
BONUS TIP: Celebrate Your Success!
Maybe you use some of these DIY tips already, maybe you read them and used them on your last project, or maybe you just McGyver’d your way through. Either way – YOU DID IT. Be proud and take time to admire your work. You deserve it!
What are you biggest DIY successes? What’s been your most creative DIY solution? I might need ideas for my next project!
