by Laura Sparrow
Over the years, I’ve made many upgrades to my home. I prefer to do the work myself to save money and learn new skills. In fact, these upgrades would have been out of reach for me financially had I had to hire someone to do them. I started doing these projects as a teen, helping with jobs in my family home, and continued as a single homeowner.
In the beginning, it was fairly straight forward: get supplies, stay home for the weekend, and spend the entire two days working the project and eating cold pizza. As time passed and I started a family, my responsibilities grew, and extra energy became harder to find. Finding extra help from friends also became scarce, but I have learned some tricks to getting a project done, while simultaneously keeping my sanity (sort of). As I’m currently giving a room in my basement a makeover, I thought now would be a great time to share some tips.
The first part of survival is actually deciding if what you’re dreaming about doing is even feasible. We’re exposed to Pinterest, Facebook posts, as well as countless reality TV shows. You must ask yourself if you have the time, and skill level (or patience to watch Youtube and learn how) for the project. Cross off your list any projects that are not necessary or that will be too difficult to do. If there are still multiple items on your list, choose only one project and finish it before starting up another one.
Next, make a list of the materials you’ll need for the project and start searching for those items. These days the market is flooded with cheap and free items sold privately. Online, thrift shops, or the Habitat for Humanity Restore are great sources (and can support a worthy cause). I recently paid $15 for a light fixture and curtain rod (with hardware) that are high quality items and would have cost me around $200 purchased new. Usually, a trip to the hardware store is still necessary but you’ve saved some precious moola and that’s a good thing!
Now it’s time to start cooking and cleaning the house. Yes! You will still need to eat and so will your kids. You’ll need clothes to wear, as life is still moving on while you’ve added a major project to your to-do list. Do everything you can in advance to make daily responsibilities a bit easier. Pre-cook and freeze some meals or buy some microwave dinners. Have laundry caught up and clear off any other commitments you can, so your free time can be focused on the task at hand. It could mean allowing more screen time for the kids and possibly pizza pops for dinner. Some things will get pushed to the back burner. At the end of the day, the dishes and laundry will eventually get done and I will have more time to spend with my son.
I’m almost at the end of my current project and there are a good couple days worth of chores to do — but I’m pleased with the outcome and the money I saved. I hope these tips can help you to plan and get through your next renovation. And if things really get out of hand, remember that you’re going to laugh about it later! Happy renovating Haysboro!
