Prepping for Home Improvement Projects

3 Steps to Take Before Starting Your Latest Project

Summers coming which means it’s time to take another look at the list of home improvement projects that have built up over the winter. Warm weather, combined with longer days gives you more opportunities to add another bathroom, replace your backyard patio or simply add a lick of paint to your house.

There are any number of projects that can improve the perceived or actual value of the house, but prior to starting, there are 3 things you should do to make sure you will get the most value from those projects. Each of them can be considered a project on its own, but the value comes from how much easier or better these preparations make your upcoming projects.

1. ‘Plan your work, work your plan.’

You’ve had all winter to figure out the material and timing of your summer projects, but let’s be honest, your home improvement list looks more like a ‘honey-do’ list than a contractor’s project planner. There are very good reasons that contractors create detailed project plans. In addition to being able to figure out material expenses and labor costs, these plans lay out the step-by-step process for completion of the ongoing project.

Writing the details of your project down (and following the plan once you begin) can make all the difference in the world its success. Delays and bottlenecks can be avoided, the inclusion of experts for difficult aspects of your project and a general idea of the cost will make the project proceed more smoothly and avoid arguments about how much the project will cost.

Once you have gotten a detailed plan for your project together, run it past someone who is familiar with similar projects. A timely word of advice can save major headaches later if you have forgotten a step or part of the project will be more difficult than you have anticipated.

2. ‘Measure twice, cut once.’

Another advantage of having a detailed plan for your project is knowing how much material you will need for it. Running out of paint while you are 90 percent finished with painting your bedroom can be an aggravating experience. Having to stop work while getting more paint – especially if it’s a non-standard color – can cost you a great deal of time.

You will run into the same problems with nebulous plans for whatever project you are undertaking. Making sure you have enough material before you start is a function of planning, but you should take an additional look at what you need versus what you have, then add some for wastage

3. ‘A clean workplace is a happy workplace.’

This phrase is important, especially for home improvement projects. For interior projects that take multiple days to complete, your work space is also your living space. Sharing that space with material and tools for your project can raise the level of aggravation and tempers in your family.

In addition to keeping your workplace clean and neat, you should consider how the project will impact the other residents of your home. The unwelcome pests that inhabit the walls, wood and crawl spaces that your project may disturb.

Bringing in a company like  Environmental Pest Management before work begins to protect your home is a grand idea. The pest experts can let you know what kind of pests that you have and whether the work will disturb them and create an issue. They can also proactively defuse the problem before you ever begin.

Don’t let the thought of disturbing those residents slow you down, however. Getting rid of them will also increase the value of your home.

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