Last night, I sat down to realise that I still haven’t even begun to scratch my own home improvement list. Perhaps I was overly enthusiastic when I wrote it, because what originally was a mere 2 or 3 projects has now become a much needed overhaul. So for those of us who have taken to hiding our to-do list in a drawer, I have made a strategy to get the list back out. Let’s get to the bottom of all of our needs, wants & dreams!
Prioritise.
Read through your home improvement list and rank the tasks.
Needs. These are time-pressing repairs, overly noticeable damages, seasonal needs, or anything that impedes your day-to-day life. For example: blocked gutters, leaking taps, large holes in drywall or plaster render, adding insulation for summer, or a broken tile on the front step.
Wants. They are not unreachable goals, but they aren’t pressing. Things like updating the paint in a room, re-caulking the bathroom, creating more storage in a laundry room, removing old paint etc.
Dreams. Looking through Pinterest, surfing the web or renovator magazines breed extensive projects. New kitchens, or appliances, knocking down a wall, building an extra bedroom, finishing a basement… These projects are remodels.
Now, once you have divided your list, things will become a lot easier to plan and strategise. Each month pick 2-3 items from your list of Needs, and 1 item from your list of Wants. Then set aside a couple of days throughout the month to accomplish these tasks.
As far as your list of Dreams go – these will be your most time consuming and costly tasks. Plan these out by year, save up for the expense and then set aside a fairly large chunk of time to complete them. You can also use them to help shape your Want list, to create a more long-term plan.
For example, do you want to redo the kitchen? Consider breaking up the tasks into gradual repairs that you can occasionally check off of the want list.
Paint the kitchen walls one month, replace the sink the next, install a fridge after that… Adding small tasks to your want task that are geared toward a dream will make it ultimately more attainable.
Busy schedules for all families large and small can make home improvement tasks tough!
If you need help, contact Natan at All Handy.
Natan
Always here to help!
All Handy Inside and Out
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