Considering our economic times, DIY projects are on the rise more now, than in years past. We are all trying to do the best we can, besides don’t you want the satisfaction of helping to create the new glorious room you will soon be standing in? Honestly, it is very gratifying to finish clean up and look back over a new beautiful space you worked so hard on.

There are several things to do before you get started on your new project. I strongly recommend that if you have never done any type of home improvement project, you should start out very small. By small I am referring to painting a room, refinishing an old piece of furniture, not remodeling your kitchen or tearing down walls. If you plan on the latter you should have a contractor or any experienced carpenter to relieve you.

First, let’s start with the idea, no matter what room or plot you plan on renovating, you have do decide what you want the end product to look like. Start out by making a list of things you would like to incorporate into the room. At this point you can go crazy, examine through magazines for ideas, check online too. Determining you budget will reach later.

Once you have chosen things you like, go through and see if the ideas match, same style, time period, etc. for your house. This step will assist to eliminate several items. Now you are moving into the Research portion of the process, so you will need to take some measurements. You will need to measure the for paint, new flooring, shipshape and baseboards, windows if replacing, or any other major appliance.

By taking measurements now, you will be able to plan your budget accordingly for these expenses. Here come a dose of reality, start pricing some of the items that you like, drag around a flooring store, buy your digital camera and a notebook. I would suggest using a clean memory card for this, for each picture write down the name and type of the flooring, store name, and price per square foot. Please remember that you are not purchasing anything on that day.

Go to other stores where you can take more pictures and price items needed to complete your project, remembering that you will also need some tools. No matter how many tools you have lying around, you will still need something. Personal experience has taught me that, always double check to make sure you have all the tools you need, and having a few duplicates helps.

You maybe wondering(if you are a first time renovator) how do I know what tools I will need? You should go online and check out places like www.diynetwork.com, www.lowes.com, www.homedepot.com, www.acehardware.com, also there are several articles to choose from here at www.associatedcontent.com. Continue by doing a search through www.google.com, www.yahoo.com, or the search engine of your choice.

Bag as much information about the renovation you will be doing, search for possible problems that might be unexpected. Some problems might be: un-level floors, mold, bad wiring, plumbing problems(leaks), water damaged ceilings or walls. If you are working on an outdoor job, make sure that you call your states Call Before You Dig hot-line, you should be able to find the number in your local phone book. Also check with your city to derive out if your need any permits to do each renovation.

Tip: Expect the unexpected. Plan ahead for disaster.

I was sent to a fishing lodge to do a fast demolition of two, upstairs bathrooms. Simple enough, bewitch baseboard, carpeting( honest a note: carpet in a bathroom is not a good idea), bewitch two toilets, well-organized up floor and so on. After removing all the flooring I discovered mold under the baseboards, on the Sheetrock, around the shower and toilets. This is not a discovery that you want to obtain in one of the most used spaces in the house.

It was an unexpected, yet, a common occurrence, fabricate obvious to have a spray bottle of bleach. to spray sub-floors, and other surfaces. If you are not using Sheetrock to do this project, you will have to purchase some to repair the damaged portions, added expense. Even though a sheet of Sheetrock in fairly inexpensive, several small items can add up and bust your budget. A small water leak in the wall can cause major damage, if you find one, get it fixed.

Before starting a project, make certain to check with your city to see what type of permits you will need, how powerful the permits will cost and how long before the projects begins do they need to be filed. If you do not have the proper permits, the city can handsome you for operating without permits and shut down your project until you have them. Remember to include the costs of the permits into your overall budget.

With the new incite in to this DIY project, you now secure to see how much it will cost and how worthy you can afford. Budgeting for a project is never fun, but you have already gathered all the information you need, so let’s get started. Start out with three sheets of paper, at the top of each page write a 1st choice, 2nd, or 3rd, choose your top three flooring choices, major appliances and other large label items; write them on the appropriate pages.
Make sure that the place the cost of each item next to the items. List price per square foot and total footage needed.

Your budget will ultimately depend on whether or not you expend top notch products. There are some products that I would recommend that you use high quality: paint, your paint brush, Energy Star appliances, and tile over linoleum. As for paint brushes, don’t go cheap, I personally use a Purdy brush they cost $16.00 and up, but the finished product is worth it. Prime dark color walls, or use a paint that includes the primer.

Don’t forget to budget for plastic to cover floor and doorways(this helps hold dust down throughout the rest of the house, you still have to live there till the renovation is over), painters tape, trash bags, paper towels, rags, and other cleaning supplies. Also add in the cost of your safety gear, masks, glasses and gloves.

Recognize over your three lists, is your 1st choice sheet a bit too scary? What about list number 2, how does it compare in cost? Between the three there could be anywhere from just a few hundred dollars up to thousands of dollars. You should resolve the budget you are most comfortable with, and gain any changes that you can’t live without( we all have a few).

When it comes to certain projects if you do not feel capable of doing it yourself, contact a professional. Always with plumbing and electrical, make definite you get advice from a licensed professional. You should always include a plumber’s fee and electrician’s fee in your budget.

Compile a list of all the projects you will be doing in this room, print out all the instructions and materials that you will need. Using all the information and pricing you have gathered, you will need to add an addition 25% to 30% more to your budget. This will help to cover those unexpected expenses. And just a few things you may have forgotten. Check each project to estimate how much time it will take at your skill level to complete.

Tip: Set aside money in the budget for meals while renovating, who wants to cook after a full day of tearing down walls, or ripping out a bathroom.

Please consider all the items that you are removing from your room, if in good condition, can be donated to Habitat for Humanity or any local charity of your choice. Think Green, Reuse what you can, Renew what you have, and Recycle the rest! Consider purchasing Bamboo flooring, Cork flooring(comes in tongue and groove planks), or any Eco-friendly product.

While you are at it, you can start using green household cleaners, or learn how to make your gain non-toxic cleaners. Also if remodeling you kitchen or laundry rooms, add an area for recycling, if its not a hassle then you won’t mind doing it, right?

Moving on to the belief of action, or attack, depending on how you want to look at it. This is where all your research will come in handy. What to do first, take before pictures, you will be happy you did. When you are ready to initiate and you have removed all personal items from the room, such as pictures, toys, books and such. Remove all the items you are replacing: baseboards and trim, flooring, appliances, furniture etc.

Start on one project at a time, complete each project before exciting on to the next. If you get in a position where you are stuck and all the stores are closed, work on small projects, like refinishing a piece of furniture, cleaning up the mess that you have made that day, testing paint colors, preparing the walls for texture or paint. You want to discontinue focused on each project until its finished.

By getting too many projects started, you can easily loose track of your tools or where you left off on a project, so just stay focused. Follow instruction on your DIY project sheets, if you are a first timer, ask friends and family for help. A mammoth way to get assist is to invite friends and family over for a BBQ, at the end of the day, you got a lot accomplished and enjoyed yourself too, it’s a win win situation.

Tip: Make determined to have sandwiches and chips available for lunch, lots of water to drink and use the good china( in our house that means paper plates).

Ask people with experience in remodels or other home renovations to help guide you and others through the process. Think safety first, keep children out of the renovation area, dangers lurk all around, there will be tools laying about, nails on the floor, sharp edges; this is no place for children. Another safety issue is having too many people confined to one site. Spread your helpers out to different areas, if you need someone to entertain the children, put them on the other side of the house, have someone recall them to the park, or let them discontinue the night with friends. In any case, plan activities for the children to keep them out of the danger zone.

You may need people to paint trim, build them out in the yard. Just make sure that you have masks and safety protection for everyone. Think about this for honest a minute: You have a week long project that starts on Saturday morning, all materials have been purchased and are on space by Friday at 5pm. You have 10 of your closed friends and family here to abet you, list of projects to complete in hand, you have just saved yourself at least two days worth of time, before you have even begun.

Tip: If you need 3 gallons or more of paint, go ahead and purchase a 5 gallon bucket, you may need it before its all over.

Perform a call to the most experienced helper several days before to let them know how many people will be there to help and the experience they have(if any). This conversation will support you determine who should work on what projects. You will also want to make definite that you prepare as much of the BBQ dinner ahead of time, so that you can concentrate on working as many daylight hours as possible.

Now, that you have a huge push in the right direction, it’s time for family to go home, and you procure to start on day two. Continue working on unfinished projects, one at a time until completed. Make sure that you have proper ventilation in the area you are working, using box fans to pull air and dust out a window works wonders. Always wear a dust cloak while sanding, I should also advise you that if you are working in an older home, test for lead paint before sanding. You can purchase testing kits at your local hardware store.

Work through your list of projects, asking for help when and if needed, better to ask for serve, then have to redo any project. Asking for back includes researching online as well. Before installing new flooring, get all the messy stuff out of the way; removing popcorn ceilings, adding a ceiling or wall texture, painting, etc. You will mild have to clean your sub-floor but you will not be destroying your novel floor.

If you will not be replacing flooring, protect it with a sheet of plastic taped down, contractors roll of brown paper, laid out and taped down. If it gets wet or really dusty, pick up large pieces of debris and lay more brown paper down. The bottom layer of plastic will keep any moisture from getting to the floor( use 2mil plastic at the least). For more information on removing popcorn ceilings or applying a texture, check out: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1602102/how_to_remove_popcorn_ceilings_and.html

A few years ago, our crew had to remove popcorn ceilings from 9 rooms on the lower level of the house, and apply a new ceiling texture throughout. The job itself seemed to take forever(not really that long, but it did take a week or better), but when it was dry and painted, it was worth all the time and effort.

One of my favorite projects to do is tile. It is not hard to tile, but you will need to do your research for each project and make distinct that you have all the needed tools. You need to remember to safety first, measure first and find your center, use laser levels or chalk lines, and apply your mud evenly. Make sure you have a 4 to 6 foot level handy at all times when laying tile.

Before you know it you will be seeing your work pay off. Remember to purchase small amounts of paint to test before purchasing the the full amount needed. When you test your colors, test them in different corners of the room, this will assist you to see the whole room in each color.

If you are installing pre-fabricated cabinets, consider purchasing unfinished wood and staining it your self. This step will ensure that you get the look you want and save money on the cabinet. I would recommend getting a test piece of the same wood as the cabinet, to test stains on. You should always test stain before applying on your new cabinets. Test different shades on a piece of scrap wood, the same wood as the cabinets are made of.

Tip: Don’t limit yourself to the hardware store to prefer a bathroom vanity. Also try looking at furniture stores for a nice desk or dresser that can be altered into a vanity.

Try to be as creative as you can, if you see something that you like, instead of purchasing it, look into recreating it yourself. For example, if you want a birdbath in your front yard, purchase some thick Styrofoam, make a form, contain it with concrete and let it dry. The possibities are endless, just do your research.

I wish you the best of luck with your home improvement challenge, and I hope that you enjoy your experience and the end product of your work. Don’t forget to take your “After” photos, you now get bragging rights.

I have personal experience in many areas of home improvement, if there is a sure topic you would like me to write about or questions, please leave comments. I will try to acknowledge as many as I can.

Thanks for reading.