| Everyone knows DIY home improvement projects | | | | Think about painting your kid's room or the kitchen. |
| save you money. Whether you're improving your | | | | They will be much easier to handle one small job at a |
| home for a better living, or to raise its market value, | | | | time. And in case the whole project drags on for a |
| the greatest reward however is not the money | | | | while, at least things won't be so messy. |
| normally. It is the satisfaction of knowing that you did | | | | 3. Better Safe Than Sorry |
| it yourself. | | | | When the professionals need to wear hard hats and |
| Let's face it though. Homeowners like you and I are | | | | protective glasses, what makes you think you're |
| mostly amateurs at home improvement projects. We | | | | better and don't need those gears? Ear plugs, dusk |
| over estimate our skill levels and become | | | | masks, safety boots are all essential safety gears |
| disappointed when we fail to complete the | | | | depending on the type of do-it-yourself home repair |
| do-it-yourself home repair in time and within budget. | | | | job. Don't have any of them? Well, which you would |
| More often than not, we just abandon the projects | | | | prefer: Spending money to get the gears now, or to |
| half-way through. | | | | pay the hospital bills later? Your choice. |
| You don't have to let that happen to you. After | | | | 4. Quality Counts |
| several failures, I have taken the advice from friends | | | | Saving money by skimping on quality materials and |
| and the professionals and compiled them into a list of | | | | tools is a bad idea. Sure your do-it-yourself home |
| quick home improvement tips. They've helped make | | | | improvement will cost less. Instead of lasting for 10 |
| my last few DIY home improvement a success and I | | | | years though, maybe you'll have to redo the project |
| hope they'll help you too. | | | | in another 5 years. The right tools will probably get |
| 1. Plan, Plan and Plan Some More | | | | the job done in a month but now you need 3 |
| You can't go wrong planning ahead and be prepared. | | | | months or more. You may save money in the short |
| Work out the project in your head, put it down on | | | | term, but it may cost you more in the long run. Be |
| paper, then go through it again carefully when you do | | | | reasonable though. Don't pay for quality out of your |
| the actual work. Get more materials than you need. | | | | reach. |
| Wastes and scraps do occur in DIY home repair. | | | | 5. Complete the Job |
| You'll be glad when you don't have to drive back and | | | | Don't leave your DIY home improvement project |
| forth the hardware store to get yet another piece | | | | hanging. Finish it. Maybe you're out of time to |
| of wood, or yet another pail of paint. | | | | complete the project this weekend. So put the tools |
| 2. Divide and Conquer | | | | away, and remember to bring them out again next |
| Divide the whole home improvement repair project | | | | weekend. Don't ever start more home improvement |
| into smaller tasks that are complete on their own. | | | | projects unless you've finished the current one. If |
| Don't think of painting the entire house inside and | | | | you don't stick to this rule, nothing will ever get done. |
| outside, upstairs and downstairs in one weekend. | | | | Really. |