Basics of What Is Home Improvement
The basic explanation of home improvement is merely changing or adding items in your home to make it look better and different. This could range from a simple new paint job to adding a major addition or garage. In a lot of major renovations the work will be performed by a professional craftsman or handy man but in the last few years many more home owners are going the DYI or do-it-yourself route to save themselves money. Although some may just be looking for the satisfaction of accomplishing the task. Others may not want the headache of watching over a contractor and feel that if they do it themselves they will know for sure that it will be done right. While home owners who do their own home improvements are usually referred to as amateurs many of them may already have years of experience in a different construction trade. So just because they can’t call themselves a professional in that field it would be a severe understatement to call them an amateur.
There are quite a few different types or definitions of home improvement projects. Things like installing a new garage door, wallpapering, replacing carpeting, laying hardwood floors, and painting will usually be considered minor improvements. Some of the major ones would be remodeling basements and attics into other rooms, building new annexes on to part of the house, upgrading the electrical wiring throughout the house, or building additional floors above the house or garage for additional living space.
Although some home improvements are minor you should not confuse yourself on the difference between home repair and home improvement. They really are different from each other even though some parts of the renovation may also include repairs of some items. Basically home repair is finding or experiencing problems and having them fixed. In many cases these repairs may need immediate attention to where you don’t have much time to plan for them. The type or extent of the problem will usually determine whether you should attempt it yourself or call in a professional. In some cases you may need to do a temporary repair to solve the problem now but decide that it will require a more major renovation or improvement to solve the issue permantly. On the other hand home improvement is bettering your home. Things like adding or changing the layout of rooms, changing the style of the home, or just adding a bit of a theme to it to make it more comfortable for you and your family to live in.
When you decide a home improvement project is in order for your home the first thing to do is to draw up a plan. You should attempt to have as much detail as possible in your plan and right down everything that you can possibly think of that needs to be done. The objective should be to try to have as few surprises as possible once the work begins. Surprises down the road tend to slow down the project and will also add to the overall cost in many cases. It will be up to you to decide what all needs to be in the plan but it should include the following items at a minimum.
“The Home Improvement Plan”
1. Change the title of the plan to what improvement you want to make. This will help you stay focused and not go off track.
2. A more detailed description of the title of what you want to accomplish. There are many home improvement magazines, home improvement books, catalogs, and home makeover TV shows on HGTV that you can use for ideas and inspiration.
3. Do you plan to do most of the work yourself with the help of family & friends, do some of the work yourself and sub out other parts of the work, or hire a home improvement contractor to do all of the work from start to finish?
4. A budget. How much money can you afford or are willing to spend? Are you going to pay for it out of pocket in cash, use credit cards, or do you need to arrange some type of financing in the form of a home improvement loan? You certainly don’t want to get half way through a project and then determine that you don’t have the funds to bring it to completion. Plus it’s much easier to control cost by budgeting every item and sticking to the budget as much as possible.
5. Time frame? Does the work need to be completely finished by a certain date or the beginning of a particular season? It’s usually not a good idea to start a three month project at the end of October when your in-laws are expecting to stay with you during the Christmas holidays. Although you may what to plan it this way just so you could say “I really love when you spend time with us, but unfortunately it just won’t be possible this year. Would you like me to make other local reservations for you?” The plan is for you and your family’s benefit and you should use it to the fullest extent possible.
6. Do you plan on living in the home while the home improvement renovations are being performed or do you need to make other arrangements? Will your family keep it’s sanity by only being allowed in certain parts of the house during construction or do you need to go spend some quality time with relatives? You certainly don’t want #5 to back fire on you to where you now need to go stay with the in-laws instead now do you?
7. The biggest benefits the project will bring once it is complete. Is there a new family member on the way that the extra room is a necessity or a blessing? Maybe you just want a new look or feel that it will make your home more enjoyable to live in.
8. Start planning the house re-warming or home improvement party. You spent all the money, done all the work, and survived the experience and now it’s time to share the fantastic results with relatives, friends, and colleagues!
As you can see, before beginning any home improvement project it is best to have all of the basics covered. You now know what you want, you are positive you can afford to have it done, and it’s going to be completed within a certain time period! All of these points are crucial in any home improvement project, but most of all make sure that in the end you will have the home that you always dreamed of and not somebody else’s dream. Now you and your family can live there and enjoy it for many more years to come!!!
