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It sounds odd, but it’s true – you’re scared of home improvement. It’s not that the thought of it fills you with dread, yet more that you don’t want to ruin your house. As a novice, if you attempt to enhance your property and mess it up, you have to live with the mistake for a long time. When you think of it this way, it’s easy to see why homeowners are afraid of specific renovation projects.
However, this fear is preventing you from taking your house and lifestyle to the next level. By improving your interiors and exteriors, you’ll benefit from anything from lower stress levels to a higher level of happiness. That’s without the almost guaranteed profit you stand to gain, too!
Telling you to forget about your fears and carry on regardless isn’t great advice because if you could do it, you would have done it already. Instead, this post will guide you through the process via five simple-yet-sneaky hacks that will encourage you to get over your home improvement hump.
After you see how easy it is to avoid making mistakes, you’ll wonder why it took you so long to get the monkey off your back. Continue reading for more.
Start Small
Taking baby steps is a tried and tested method to gauge your competence. Plus, it means that it doesn’t matter if things go wrong because it’s only a tester. What you want to do is get into the mindset of repairing and fixing household problems with a spot of DIY, and there are plenty to lean on.
Of the five projects that Family Handyman lists, probably the best one to focus on is dealing with sticky drawers. You can get by with kitchen cupboards that don’t open smoothly, so it’s not as if you’re going to cause more hassle if it goes wrong. However, if you manage to get the drawers to stop catching, your confidence levels will soar.
It should only take a couple of minutes if you’re prepared, and even if you aren’t, you should be finished within an hour. The trick is to check the runners for blockages. If there aren’t any, you can unscrew them and fit new ones so that reaching for a spoon isn’t stressful!
Once you feel you’re in the groove (no pun intended), you can move onto another small project. Anything from Ikea is perfect as it’s relatively straightforward as long as you have the right tools and follow the instructions.
Use Paint
The great thing about paint is that you can add another coat if you don’t like the style once it’s dried. Sure, you have to sand down bumps and remove layers if there are too many, yet this isn’t the end of the world. Industrial sanders are available in most DIY stores at affordable prices.
Again, you can begin by choosing an area of the house that you don’t mind messing up if things go wrong, such as an old chair or piece of furniture. Alternatively, you can pick a wall and start brushing to make your home feel new again. Just make sure you cut into the wall at the edges where it meets the ceiling, and ensure your brush strokes flow in the same direction.
Tons of videos exist on YouTube that will provide you with more instructions if you’re still not confident. An excellent tip is to add a coat of shellac to anything that is made from wood, as it’s twice as easy to strip if you make an error.
Once it’s back to its natural state, you can attempt to paint it another color or use a different paint. All you have to do is carry on until you get it right and fall in love with its appearance.
Hire Help
A home improvement fear that isn’t irrational is starting a job only to realize that it’s more complicated than you thought. Suddenly, you’re in the deep end without armbands, struggling to keep your head above water. What do you do? How should you react? Calm down because there are plenty of professionals on hand that are ready to lend a hand.
The essential thing is that you react quickly and don’t try to fix the problem yourself. As a newbie to DIY, you might easily make the situation worse and increase the price when you hire an expert to remedy the situation. Some signs are obvious, such as when you’re dealing with electricity. In that case, the likes of SALT Light & Electric and Co. are integral as your lack of knowledge is dangerous.
Other issues, such as mold, aren’t as obvious. After all, you can clear it with a healthy air supply and dehumidifiers that remove moisture from the room. At least, that’s what you might assume, yet the bacteria from the mold is unhygienic and can lead to health concerns.
Walking away from the project and paying a professional to remove it will cost you more, yet it’s for the best. Firstly, the money is worth safeguarding your health. Secondly, major household problems don’t go away from their accord, so you’d have to deal with it at some point. It’s better you’ve uncovered it now than down the line when the mold and damp were worse.
Upcycle Old Belongings
Upcycling is when you take an item that is used for one purpose and tweak it so that it has a different purpose. Upcycling is popular to the point where most houses that you visit today will have features that used to be old and tired and now have a new lease of life. A busted armchair is a statement piece once it has new upholstering.
The incredible thing about upcycling is that you don’t have to worry about the final version too much. Why? It’s because A) it was old and tattered anyway, and B) upcycled belongings need a sense of the owner’s character. Therefore, if a project doesn’t turn out the way you imagined it, you can pass it off as quirky and full of personality.
As Good Housekeeping points out, it can be as basic as taking old wooden crates and transforming them into storage solutions. All it takes is sandpaper and a coat of paint to make them sparkle. Another good example is a tin of paint that you can turn into lampshades. This is especially on point if your home has an industrial vibe.
The key is not to throw things away because they appear as if they have no value. Allow your creative juices to flow and imagine what your old belongings could become.
Create A Budget
No matter how straightforward a home upgrade appears, it can quickly escalate out of control if you’re not prepared. When this happens, you’re bound to spend more money than you can afford, which is a legitimate gripe if your budget is already limited.
One of the great features of DIY is that it’s affordable, so it’s counterproductive to spend more than you can afford. Thankfully, creating a comprehensive budget is the answer to your problems.
Merely determine how much you expect to spend on materials and potential labor expenses, and add an extra 10% to 15% on top for contingencies. Although this sounds excessive, NerdWallet explains that a simple plan will ensure unforeseen costs don’t catch you by surprise.
Plus, whatever money you save and don’t use, you can put back into your bank account.
Are you scared of home improvements? Are you ready to get back on the horse to upgrade your home and lifestyle?
