If you are a do-it-yourselfer, your next home improvement project might need some scaling down so that you save cash in the recession. Actually, the economic recession is an ideal time to decide what is really essential to a project before spending at the home improvement store. This article provides five considerations for do-it-yourself project planning. Your bottom line is to tailor a home improvement project to affordable and manageable proportions.
A Wealth of Materials
Your first consideration concerns the materials needed for the project. For example, if you are planning new wallpaper for the kitchen, you need wallpaper, adhesive or glue, utensils for wallpapering, and borders. One idea is to buy the store brand for each material. Another idea is to go on the Internet and find cost-saving alternatives. For example, you can find hundreds of ways to use recycled materials for your wallpaper project. Then you only have to buy the adhesive and utensils.
Design With Your Mind
Some projects involve more elements of design than others. For example, planning a new brick walkway takes more planning than painting one accent wall in your home. This project may also require a lot of tools you lack. One suggestion for saving money during the planning process is to find a neighbor or friend who has completed a similar project and arrange to borrow all of his or her tools. Your money will be spent entirely on materials from the home improvement store.
It’s all in the Timing
Another consideration for planning home improvement is the timing. When you can plan far enough into the future, you can make trips to the home improvement stores in your area and watch for various materials and supplies to go on sale. You can also watch retailer web sites for coupons and special offers. Finding the right time to complete your project can save you a lot of money.
Do You Need Some Assistance?
Do you need help with this project? In a recession, labor is abundantly available. People in your community are trying to meet basic needs. They will work for you at a lower hourly wage because they need work. Without exploiting workers, you can solicit labor estimates for large or highly-skilled projects. Next, you can build a budget and timeline for the project’s completion. Be careful because your success with this project might just turn you into a home improvement entrepreneur.
Think of it this way. Until you can afford your planned project, there are dozens of other tasks related to cleaning, maintenance, and cosmetics that can keep you busy. Think about cosmetic improvements like cleaning grout, retouching paint, weeding gardens and planters, pressure cleaning the exterior of the home, detailing windows, and cleaning air vents. In a recession, a little bit of home improvement planning saves a lot of money. Who doesn’t like saving money?