Starting out on your DIY journey can be a daunting experience, especially when you have to juggle your renovation with a career and family. Tales of do-it-yourself escapades gone wrong can strike fear into the heart of any budding home renovator! Technical problems, spiralling costs and childcare difficulties are just some of the problems that can haunt the imagination of any parent who plans to revamp their home. Luckily, home renovation doesn’t need to be an arduous task. Whether you’re a first time novice or an ardent DIY enthusiast, the tips below will be indispensable on your path to creating the perfect family home.
Choosing the right design to suit your needs
The most important thing of all is to thoroughly consider your family requirements before setting out on your DIY adventure. Do the designs and fittings you have chosen suit the needs of you and your family? Or are you wondering ‘what size shower enclosure do I need?’ Well, whilst a smaller enclosure is fine for a young couple in their 20s or 30s, it can be a logistical nightmare when you have a couple of toddlers to look after. Similarly, a flush to floor shower enclosure can avoid an awkward step up that younger family members may find difficult. These are the little things that you need to consider when tailoring your plans to meet your needs.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew
Biting off more than you can chew is a classic mistake of first time DIYers. Remember to create a plan and stick to it. Whilst it is important to remain flexible, don’t get carried away and create hundreds of new jobs as you go along. Be realistic about your abilities and competence and take each little job at a time. Dividing the wider project into smaller, more manageable chunks is the best way to approach any DIY task, large or small!
Choose the right tools for the job
Don’t cut corners and use the wrong tools. Sometimes it is tempting to try and use a tool similar to the one that the instructions demand, rather than the tool itself. This is a classic mistake, and one that even seasoned renovation experts are known to make. After all, when you’ve got the school run, the kids’ lunches and the demands of your own career to juggle it’s best to try and do things the fastest way possible, right? Wrong! What you make up for in time, you will lose in precision. If you don’t have access to a particular implement then try and buy, borrow or rent one. You’ll thank yourself further down the line.
Don’t lose sight of the important things in life
Finally, remember not to lose sight of why you are doing the renovations! You will have moments of joy, moments of despair, and plenty of work, but remember to enjoy the experience. DIY is best when you take the rough with the smooth, and everything else in between). It isn’t the end of the world if plans change. Learning to adapt is an integral part of the DIY experience (as the famous adage goes “when people make plans, God laughs”). If you find yourself getting frustrated with a project, take a day or two to relax, recalibrate and redirect your energies to the task at hand. If you follow this advice, plan realistically and find the designs that you need, then you’ll find that your renovation is complete in no time. You’ll be champing at the bit for the next project to begin!
*Collaborative post.*
