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 Where to Start
People want to do home improvement projects all the time to
increase the value of their home. Many people, however, do not know
which project to tackle first when they have multiple projects to be
done. Picking which project to do first can be decided by a number of
things. Money and urgency are the biggest factors in this. If you have
a hole in your roof, obviously you need to get that fixed before
putting a shed up in your yard. But if you need new windows because the
old ones are older than you and your bathroom looks like it’s stuck in
the 70’s, you have a choice. Some improvements will be more time
consuming than others and that should be taken into consideration
before starting anything.
Before you Start
Do your research before starting anything. Whether you plan to
do the project yourself or hire someone to do it for you, make sure you
know what you are getting into before buying anything or signing any
contract. Any home improvement job can be done by yourself or a
company. Depending on the job will depend on what you need to not only
get it done, but also how much it will cost. Check out different home
improvement stores for varying prices as well as professionals. Ask
your neighbors who did their project and how much it cost, if they are
willing to tell you the price. If they did it themselves, ask how long
it took and if they ran into any problems they didn’t believe they
would encounter. If they did encounter problems, ask them how they
fixed them. On the other hand if they used a professional ask what they
thought of the work the professional did. Knowing what you might be
getting into is the best knowledge of all. And if it is possible, ask
more than one home owner about the same project so you can compare
notes.
Do It Yourself versus Professional
You have decided what project you want to do. You have done your
research and have an idea what it should cost and how long it should
take. Now you must decide if you want to do it yourself or hire a
professional crew to do it for you. There are advantages and
disadvantages to both. Doing it yourself can be much cheaper because
you aren’t paying labor costs that are added to the professionals’
prices. However you have to know that you will have ample time to fix
complete the project and that you can live in your home comfortably
enough while you do finish. Also if you run into a complication, you
have to know how to fix it quickly so as not to lose any more time on
completing the project. This can get expensive if you don’t know how to
fix it or are on limited time and money. Having a professional do it
can cost thousands more, depending on the project, but you will have an
estimate time of completion. And, the best part of all, if there are
any mess ups, you are not responsible for fixing them. Well for the
most part you won’t be responsible. You will need to read the fine
print on any contract you sign with a professional. Another advantage
of having a professional is that the work is warranted.
Using the Professional
Once you decide to go with a professional, you should get
multiple quotes before making your choice of who to use. Even if the
company that did your neighbors windows comes highly recommended, your
house is different and they may have different pricing specials now
than when your neighbors had their windows put in. Get at least four or
five quotes to see exactly what the professionals cost and the
differences in how they do business, their warranty works, estimate for
when they can start your project, and completion time frame. Don’t go
for just the big ads in the phone book. The smaller companies can be
just as good and cost less than a big name. Most places give free
estimates nowadays. No matter what, don’t let any professional push you
into using them before you have all the estimates you want. They may
sound great as the first or second, but their job is to get you sign
with them and convince you they are better than anyone else out there.
Take everything they say with a grain of salt.
About The Author
D. David Dugan has a website http://homeimprovement.divinfo.com
to help homeowners find all the information they need about remodeling,
home repair, building decks and carports, room additions, and more. He
also actively participates in an article directory at http://www.articlemotron.com that has current and up to date information on many topics.
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