You may be a new homeowner with a list of things you’d like to change or repair around your new dwelling. Or, you may have already spent years living at the same residence only to decide you no longer like certain aspects of your home. Whatever the case, taking on new projects around the house can help improve your own opinion of your home while also possibly improving its value, curb appeal, overall safety factor, and other important aspects of any good home.
The possibility of undertaking one of these important improvements comes along with an unavoidable set of challenges, but once you overcome them, you can enjoy the benefits of a job well done.
Where to Start with Home Improvement
So, you’ve decided to pursue a project that’ll change and improve part of your home. Now, it’s your job to take that stated desire and push it forward, make good decisions along the way and turn what started as just an idea into a real, fully visible alteration to your home. Intentions can help guide your journey through the world of home improvement, but when it comes to execution, planning ahead can help relieve much of the stress associated with projects of this magnitude.
The project budget may be the single most important piece of the entire plan. A budget can help guide your artistic vision, materials choices and entire scope of work. However, a budget can also stop a project in its tracks if it isn’t properly created and adhered to. This can cause costs to balloon and budgets to break down under the pressure.
As a rule of thumb, plan for your home improvement costs to exceed estimates by the tune of 5-to-10% as a contingency for any costs that may be more than what you budgeted for.
It’s also better to have more money for the project as opposed to not having enough, even if your initial estimates come in spot on or under what you actually end up spending in pre-project materials and estimated labor. If you’re in the middle of a project and end up requiring more materials or man hours than you initially bargained for, it’ll come in handy.
If you’re a first-time homeowner or unfamiliar with the costs of housing materials, labor and other project expenses, crafting a budget that covers all the different ways you’ll end up spending money may not be easy for you. Be sure to keep track of those costs as you encounter them—if you’re researching materials, try to have a handle on the amount you’ll need and keep track of the total cost so you have enough on hand to complete the job.
Keeping a running tally of the approximate cost of each project facet will not only allow you to make better decisions with your money, it’ll also help inform your materials and design decisions. Sticking to your budget may lead to creative combinations of materials, ideas, or looks, or let you splurge on something with saved funds.
You should also consider a project’s long-term impact before deciding to allocate time, effort and money to it. Is this project necessary or should you prioritize other projects around the house that could help keep you and your family safe, lower the costs of energy bills, or otherwise raise the quality of life inside your home? Does this project raise the value of your home as much as other possible improvements could?
If the answer to one or both of those questions is, “No,” consider investing a little more money into a home improvement project that could potentially pay dividends for years to come.
Home Improvement on a Budget: Ideas and Inspirations
Are you looking for inspiration—or dealing with so many possible projects that you’re aiming to narrow your scope? The following budget home improvement ideas vary in cost, required skill and potential labor, but they’re all quick and affordable ways to make positive changes to your home.
Kitchen and Bath Upgrades
Even if you only spend enough time in the kitchen or bathroom to eat or shower, you probably still care about each room’s look and upkeep. In both rooms, renovations can get costly—especially if a plumber needs to get involved. However, painting or refurbishing the cabinets in either room can instantly revitalize the space.
There are other quick, relatively inexpensive projects that can transform these spaces, too. In the bathroom, consider repurposing a large old dresser by cutting off the top and turning it into your bathroom counter. You could also switch up the light fixtures around a mirror or repaint the space to take on a new theme.
Speaking of light fixtures, kitchens often feature hanging lights that can be switched out to make a quick impact on the room. Backsplashes have become popular ways to add personality to a counter space, with a variety of cheaper removable options available.
Enhance Your Curb Appeal
Use accessories like potted plants, benches or rewired hanging lamps to add massive curb appeal to your primary entry door. There are a variety of ways to change up the exterior of your exterior door, so don’t be afraid to get creative and utilize available space!
When it comes to the door itself, adding trim can alter the way people see your door without doing much in the way of repair or replacement. However, painting or replacing the door can make a huge impact, too. If you’re in the market for a door replacement or considering one as a home improvement project, Plastpro’s fiberglass doors are versatile options that can be customized to a wide variety of desired sizes and styles.
From modern looks to classic wooden appearances, fiberglass doors match homeowner’s needs while providing strong impact and environmental resistance. They also help keep energy costs down and save money by lasting longer than their wood and steel counterparts.
Bedroom and Living Room Projects
These rooms are where you’ll do most of your relaxing, so they should invoke a welcoming comfort while also acting as a celebration of you. Achieve both of those goals in the living room with recess shelving for your books, movies, artwork, or other treasured possessions. You could also mount a television on the wall in either space and surround it with pleasing arrangements of shelving or artwork.
If the paint job, flooring or crown molding of either the bedroom or living room doesn’t suit the space’s intended purpose, update any and all of them to add a new dimension to the home.
Home Maintenance and Upkeep
Fix what’s broken! Not only will this help your home keep its value, it’ll make your life less stressful and may help you pinpoint new innovations that can help future proof your home. A new aesthetic upgrade can help transform your home, but it may not be what your home truly needs right now.
Home Improvement Budgeting: Factors to Consider
No matter how cheap a project is, if you haven’t properly prepared your budget for any home improvement endeavor, you could find yourself stalled and waiting to complete your undertaking for an unspecified period of time. This unfinished state can cause a strain on your finances and inconvenience at home, where you’re now host to an active work area. Proper budgeting and planning can help you avoid this situation, with the extra 5-to-10% budgetary failsafe in place to avoid any unforeseen costs catching you off guard.
So, what needs to go into this planning beyond estimated material cost, skill/labor investment and extra money in the budget? If you seek advice from professionals, you can emerge from the planning process better prepared to execute your home improvement vision.
Speaking to a contractor will help you take care of one very important cost right out of the gate: permits. A professional in your area will be able to tell you which kind of permit you need—if any—for the type of project you’re aiming to complete. You can also speak to your local government or do your own research on the permitting process. In addition to the proper permits, you may want to consider insurance for larger projects.
If you aren’t comfortable completing the type of labor required for your specific project, you can also acquire a labor estimate from the contractor. When planning your budget for a project, roughly one-third should be allocated for skilled labor. Reducing costs should not be done by reducing labor. It’s very important that whatever you’re changing, adding or replacing is done so correctly.
Lastly, don’t forget to budget for any impacts your project may have on your life. If you have workers in your kitchen, you’ll need to eat out or order in that day. If you’re unable to function at home throughout the course of the improvement, you’ll need to arrange other accommodations. After work is complete, factor in any costs or labor necessary for proper cleanup.
Upgrade Your Home with Plastpro
Installing a fiberglass door isn’t just an easy way to provide a massive curb appeal bump, it’s also a great option for your safety and your wallet. Stay on the successful home improvement plan by finding a Plastpro dealer and discussing materials, costs and available options.
