Home Improvement – Getting Started

by JP, April 5, 2008

Well, it’s spring! And spring fever is no doubt getting your creativity perking with ideas on your next home improvement project. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned veteran I’m sure you’ll find something here to help you along. Remember that improvements can be as simple as a piece of furniture, new paint, room remodeling such as kitchen or bath, adding a porch or deck, patio, or even gardening. There are so many things that you can do to improve your living space that the list is endless.

But before you get out the paintbrush, hammer, or even shovel, read on. There are a lot of things that you should consider first before jumping into it. So lets take a few minutes to go over the most important ones.

Before you start your project put together a plan. It will help to put you ideals down on paper. This should be an outline of sorts that will define what your goal is. This should look like a list. The next step is to break down your goal into what comes first and what comes next, we call this prioritization. For example, lets say your project is to remodel your bathroom. Start your list with a title of “Bathroom Remodel”, and next list the items that you want to replace. Such as flooring, fixtures, bathtub, shower, toilet, and so on. Since you need a floor before you set things on it, it should be near the top of the list. Consider the next items to be installed and you’re on your way to creating a priority list, just number them 1, 2, 3, and so on.

Ok, so now you have your list to go by, what do you do now? Chose the specific items that you want, and get prices! This will help you determine how much the basics are going to cost you. Visit your local home improvement store or search online. The size and scope of your project will definitely determine how much you will spend, and influence your choices as well.

Now is the time to decide if your home improvement project is something you can do or is it something that you’ll have to hire someone else to do for you. Consider if there is plumbing or electrical work involved, and are you knowledgeable enough to perform these types of repairs? The next thing to consider is “do I have the money for my project?”

And last, but not least, are there any city, local, or municipal laws or regulations that cover the type of home improvement that you want to do? I cannot stress the importance of this one enough! Depending on your area, you may be required to get a permit (which is usually a percentage of the estimated total coast of the project which must be paid before the project begins in order to obtain the permit) and may also include an official inspection of items that must meet code, such as electrical wiring and plumbing. Depending on where you live, you may not be allowed to do certain types of work yourself, like electrical or plumbing. You may have to have a contractor do these things for you. If your doing the improvements, it is your responsibility to KNOW when these inspections are required. After all, it wouldn’t make much sense for the inspector to come by to inspect electrical wiring after the walls and ceiling has been put up! It’s disheartening, and expensive, to have to pull that entire new wall and ceiling out to get his ok. If you’ve contracted for the work on your improvements, your contractor will usually obtain the permits and inspections as the work progresses. Also, if you are going to hire a contractor, be sure to get a quote, the rule of thumb is get three quotes and choose your contractor carefully. Check with your local municipality to find out your responsibilities and/or your contractors (and please, if you get a contractor, be sure he has insurance! Otherwise you may be responsible for injuries or other mishaps that happen on your property!).

What if you decide that you can’t afford the home improvements you want! Well, there are ways of getting the money to pay for your project.

Stay tuned; I will be adding more in the days to follow on many of the subjects of home improvement that I’m sure you will be interested in.