Make sure you have the right tools — and the right skill set — before beginning a home improvement project. Sometimes, hiring a professional saves you money when work involves plumbing, electrical, or major structural changes.
Getting started on a home improvement project can be hard but often easier than finishing it. When D-I-Y goes B-A-D, it’s usually because of poor planning. Here are three easy steps to organizing your next amazing project.
STEP ONE: Proper Tools
Whatever the project, the proper tools can be the key to success for any size do-it-yourself job. Take a moment to mentally walk through the work, making a list of the tools you’ll need. If you don’t have them, where can you borrow, rent, or buy them? Have your tools lined up and ready to go before beginning any project.
STEP TWO: Proper Skills
Know your limits; know your strengths. Assess the home improvement, carpentry, or painting skills you’ll need for the project at hand. Make a list of the expert advice or service you might need to hire, whether plumbing, electrical, or engineering. Don’t knock down any walls until you know you won’t bring the roof down with them!
STEP THREE: Paperwork
Research local regulations. Find out if you need permits before beginning, especially if you are making major changes to a structure, electrical wiring, or plumbing. Permits are usually required within city limits but might also be a stipulation of construction in a county as well. In the Highland Lakes, the Lower Colorado River Authority permits septic tanks.
Better to ask forgiveness than permission does not apply when it comes to permits! Fines and having to tear down or rework a project are real possibilities if the proper permits are not acquired in time.
For professional help and more tips, check out our Highland Lakes Home Improvement & Construction Guide.
