If you’re like most people, you probably think of yourself as creative. After all, who wouldn’t be creative if they could figure out how to do things themselves around the house? But what separates the people who can truly call themselves DIY geniuses from everyone else is not just a willingness to try new things, but also an ability to plan ahead.
That’s why before starting any home improvement project, it’s important to create a plan. By doing so, you’ll make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible and that you don’t end up making any costly mistakes. So without further ado, here are seven steps for creating a plan before starting your next DIY home improvement project!
Step 1) Think About What DIY Home Improvement You’d Like To Start With.
Obviously, the first step in creating a plan is to determine exactly what kind of project you’d like to start with. To do this, you might want to consider whether your DIY home improvement will require any new tools or supplies, how much time it’ll take, and what room(s) in your home it’ll focus on. The more information you can gather in advance, the better!
One great way to make an effective plan is to use a checklist. This can help you organize the tasks you need to do and also the materials you need to buy. Checklists are your self-reminder tools to help you achieve your project successfully.
One great way to make a checklist is to use Venngage — an online checklist maker that offers various checklist templates for everyone. Here are some examples from their website!
Step 2) Choose Your Materials.
If you think of yourself as a creative person, chances are good that you have an unlimited supply of potential materials lying around the house. But depending on what you’re planning to do, those materials might actually be getting in your way, or worse, they could even ruin the project altogether!
So before starting any home improvement project, it’s important to decide on the materials that you’re going to use. For example, if you’re planning to install a new tile floor, then tile might be your best bet. But if you’re designing a new coffee table instead, wood or metal might be more appropriate than ceramic tiles.
Step 3) Sketch It Out.
The next stage of the process is to create a rough sketch of your project. This can be done with pretty much anything, whether it’s pen and paper, chalk on the ground, or even using one of those popup chalkboard easels.
Don’t worry too much about getting things perfect; instead, focus on laying out your plans in a way that makes them easy to understand and use.
Step 4) Estimate Time and Money.
Although you might be eager to dive right in, it’s important that you take the time to estimate how long your project is going to take as well as what it is going to cost. This doesn’t have to be perfect (after all, most DIY home projects are not done according to a strict schedule), but it should give you an idea of where you stand financially as well as how much time you need to set aside.
Step 5) Mark the Area.
The next step is to mark off the area that you’re planning to work on with tape or paint. This will make sure that nothing gets in your way (or is accidentally damaged) while you’re working.
Step 6) Set the Budget.
Believe it or not, setting a strict budget for home improvement projects can be one of the most difficult things to do. After all, what if something breaks down unexpectedly? What if you decide that you want to add more than originally planned? But by setting a budget before starting, you’ll make sure that you don’t spend money on things that aren’t necessary and can help to guide you in making the right decision.
Step 7) Assign the Tasks.
Even if your DIY home improvement project is simple, chances are good that it’s going to be too bulky for one person to handle. So by assigning tasks, you’re effectively breaking the project down into manageable chunks that can be easily tracked and completed in a timely manner (and without making any costly mistakes).
Take the time to make sure that all of these steps are done before starting your home improvement project. By doing so, you’ll help to make sure that not only does your project go smoothly, but that you don’t spend too much money along the way. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start planning!
