When my husband and I bought our 35 yr. old townhome I had great visions for much-needed upgrades. It looked like an old apartment then, but after four years of improvements little by little it has turned into a place of charm, comfort, and welcome. So, if you know your home needs a makeover, but aren’t sure where to start, here’s some ideas. Titus 2:5 encourages us to be good keepers of our home, and Proverbs 31 encourages us to make wise use of our time and investments, one of which is our home. Romans 12:13 says we are to be “given to hospitality”. Having a home where people are comfortable and can enjoy themselves is important. Feel free to share in discussion your advice about what worked for you and what you’ve learned through your own home improvement experiences!
Of course, home projects look easy when you watch someone who knows what their doing, and the how-to books make it appear even simpler! The first time my husband and I removed two layers of old linoleum flooring from our kitchen, refaced our cabinets, or installed 1200 sq. feet of baseboard, we knew we had embarked upon more than a day’s project. So, what have I learned from it all? Here’s my top ten suggestions:
1.) Have a plan. Make a list of everything you would love to upgrade/change. Then, prioritize it. If you can remember your first impressions of your place, this goes a long ways to figuring out priorities too. It may be a priority because of functional needs, aesthetics, or a combination of both. Consider whether this upgrade will improve the value of your home or not. No home is perfect, so it is important to major on the majors and minor on the minors too. That dent in an obscure corner of your house may bug you, but then again maybe no one else will ever know about it unless you point it out! Also, determine if some projects require a specific order. For instance, we couldn’t replace our cracked, scratched 35 yr. old yellow-green kitchen countertop until we decided what to do with our cabinets. We really want to widen the narrow entrance to our kitchen, but that would leave a 1 sq. ft. gap in our carpet area, and we are not ready to replace our carpets yet.
2.) Look for pictures that reflect your ideas of a beautiful home. Keep a folder called Home Improvement. This is the place you can stash photocopies from a home magazine you got at the library or estimates and names of companies that you visited and their product brochures. One friend who loves decorating has two huge binders full of magazine clips and articles relating to everything from making curtains to designing your own kitchen cabinets. This was her source of ideas and inspiration when it was time to consider the next project around her house.
3.) Get at least three estimates of the work you want to hire out and ask lots of questions! Try to understand everything you can about each project and what it entails. Ask advice from everyone possible, especially those who had similar projects done in their homes! Learn about all the options and the pros and cons. (I spent two years researching countertop surfaces and colors before I was certain what I wanted both in product and price!) Once you have an average of the total cost of the project, add another 1/4 or 1/3 of the cost to that total estimate. Nine times out of ten this is the actual cost you will pay because of tools, touch up paint, hidden costs, and complications.
Good tips, but im soo lazy, who has the time to do all that.. Although i love to work hard for my house, ive done a lot, painting it, cleaning it, changing the arrangements, renovations, woodworks, false ceiling, window net, cement work, and lots more, its a 100 yr old place with lots more to do
Being overwhelmed feels a lot like laziness because you don’t know where to begin, and it makes you tired just looking around! It sounds like you’ve done a lot of work already, but you still feel about 50 years behind.
If home improvement is something you are serious about, start making that list. It should take an hour, or keep a list nearby for a whole day. Every time you think of something add it. The next day, figure out what you can or would like to do first and secondly. Budget for these two projects, but file the list and forget about everything else on it for now! Then, work toward your first project goal every weekend you have a free day. Just collect information, pictures, and samples for your file that relate to that project and stay focused! One project per year may be just about right for someone who is very busy!
If you continue this process, in 5 or 10 years your home will look newer and better than it does now. You will feel better about your place and yourself, and you will have maintained or improved your investment.