One thing that we should all consider when we become homeowners is home improvement tasks. This can range from repainting a room to something more extensive, like getting a new countertop. Whatever the case may be, we’ve compiled a beginner’s guide to home improvement to make the whole process a lot less stressful.
Below you’ll find a handful of helpful tips and tricks to make any type of home improvement task much easier! By the end of this article, you’ll be inspired to pick up a paintbrush or screwdriver and get to work!
Table of Contents
Ask Around
When you have a home improvement task in front of you that requires a professional’s help, ask around. Don’t just look up what you need done on Google and go for the first business you see. A friendly tip is to ask your friends and family who are homeowners who they would suggest for those specific tasks.
This way you’ll know that the professional is trustworthy and could get the job done. If you don’t know anybody that has used a professional for whatever you need help with, be sure to look at reviews on Google and Yelp.
Start Small
The thought of doing home improvements can be quite overwhelming. This is exactly why you should start small. Whether you have just bought a fixer-upper house or there are things you’d like to change about the home you’ve lived in for years, starting small is the key to success when it comes to home improvements.
Sometimes, this can still be too much! The thought of doing home improvements can be quite overwhelming. This is exactly why you should start small. Whether you just bought a fixer-upper house or there’s something you’d like to change about the home you’ve lived in for years, starting small is the key to success when it comes to home improvements. You can start small by focusing on one room at a time.
Let’s say you want to make some improvements to your bathroom. Instead of focusing on the entire bathroom at once, you can start by focusing on painting the walls, then change out the flooring, make sure you have a sink and toilet you like, and lastly focus on things like the decor or hardware of the cabinets.
Budget
Something else that’s absolutely crucial to making home improvements is to create an accurate budget. You should do this for each room you’d like to make improvements on. Don’t forget to budget for exterior expenses too, if you plan on painting the house or fixing up the garden.
You can break this down by setting aside a specific amount for changing the floors, the price of paint, any appliances you may need, any professional help you may need to hire, and lastly, any decor you like to add.
If you’re a new homeowner, having a budget is even more important. You may not know about surprise expenses that come up and nobody wants to go over their budget and spend more money than they need to. If you’re on a tight budget, consider shopping at thrift stores and secondhand shops to find products at cheaper prices. Alternatively, look for specials online.
Take It Slow
Lastly, it’s important to remember to take it slow. What we mean by this is that you don’t need to complete every home-improvement project all at once. Consider starting on rooms that you use more often, like the bathroom and the kitchen.
If you have improvements that you need to make to the exterior of your home, like adding in an asphalt driveway or weather-proofing your roof, you might need to do these things in a timely fashion if you live in a place that has seasons that change quickly!
Bottom Line
Owning your first home is so exciting and overwhelming at the same time. Making home improvements can actually be quite fun and you often learn something new. Hopefully this beginners guide to home improvements gives you a better idea of how you can make small changes to your home without breaking the bank or being stressed out too much.
Always remember to budget, even for the little things. Remember that small things like painting the walls or changing the hardware of your kitchen cabinets can make a vast improvement. Also don’t forget to take care of and improve the exterior of your home as well as your yard if you’d like!
Author Bio
Darren Robertson is a top-producing licensed REALTOR® in Northern Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. Valuing service over sales, Darren is known by his clients for both his extensive local market knowledge, as well as his patience and reliability as he helps them on their home buying and home selling journey.
Darren is a tech-forward agent who places a heavy emphasis on internet marketing and blogging in his business.
When he’s not helping his clients buy and sell homes, he enjoys going on adventures with his beautiful wife and two little ones, strategy games, movies, red wine, and traveling.