home projects

Stay on Top of Your Home Improvements to Save Money and Time

June 23, 2014 By Guest Writer Leave a Comment

Tracking home improvement projects can be a risky adventure if you are not managing the details of the project process and the budgets throughout the improvement process. These details include the items necessary for the project, the labor if any for the project, and time and when certain items need to be procured. Managing budgets as the project goes through its process is necessary to insure that enough funds are available to complete the project. The last thing anyone wants is a half completed project in a home which occurs more often than you might think.

Home improvement projects generally have five phases. Each phase can guide you to the next phase and help you better prioritize your home’s and your family’s needs. By following a project management methodology for your home improvement projects, you are more likely to have awareness of the specifics about your project or projects and to follow the details needed to complete the project. Here are the five phases.

Managing Your Project Ideas and Concepts

When determining what you need and want done to your home in the form of projects, it is time to get them all in a wish list. Some projects might be fix it projects like updating a roof or replacing a hot water heater. While other projects are design or renovation projects that either require cosmetic updates or complete demolition and construction of a room or location in your home. When it comes to our homes, many of these projects feel like a priority but discussing what needs to be completed and the desire of the projects will help identify project priorities.

Maintenance or fix projects oftentimes become a first priority in that it affects a way of life. A broken hot water heater results in cold showers. Or a non-working heating and air conditioning unit can result in very cold winters and very hot summers. These projects are not the end of the world, but may find themselves in your priority list due to your lifestyle.

When it comes to decorating, design or updating your projects, determining your style or theme of what you want your home or a particular room to be like is important. You style will lead you in considering the materials and finishes you want to incorporate into the design of your projects. This is important as some materials may be more expensive than others but there may be a comparable material on the market that will still fit your needs but may fit into your budget more effectively.

In determining style, you will need to also gain a clear understanding of your spatial layout in your home or room. Having an understanding of your existing room or area sizes or understanding your room sizes for future additions is important to spatial layout. You can love all the products you want, but if they do not fit in your room than you will find it difficult to incorporate them in your design. Make sure your measurements are accurate for the space and the items that will be incorporated into the space.

Once the wish list process is underway, the number of projects that all the parties want in a home start increasing and the need to prioritize when each project will be started and then completed is a conversation for everyone involved. This can also help with managing expectations over a period of time. Managing projects over one year or over multiple years still becomes important to make sure visibility is transparent and the projects are moving smoothly. By managing multiple projects over time, all the parties involved can agree on when a specific project will be completed and when. Keep in mind weather conditions can help you design your project schedules. Conducting landscaping projects in winter where it snows might not be a wise use of time or dollars.

Following the Money

Once you have identified your projects, it is time to gather the data about the costs of these projects. Simple research can be done to find estimates of projects both from a parts and materials component and also a labor component. This research can be gathered online, while out shopping, talking to friends and even interviewing contractors or product manufacturers. Gathering this data about your projects will help you identify what budget requirements are needed for these projects and how to prioritize them against one another but also against the other items in your life like vacations, cars, education and more. This process also gives you an opportunity to start understanding the basic details of project expenses. This phase is your first opportunity to understand the finances and the time it takes to complete a project.

DIY or Contractor Hired

Understanding your capabilities and whether or not you have the time and the experience to conduct your projects or you need to hire them out will help you also identify the budget requirements for your projects. Hiring contractors to perform the work will result in a labor costs that you may not have been aware of and need to now budget. Labor costs can vary depending on the project and the crew that will come in and finalize your project.

This process may also include hiring a designer. If you struggle with understanding how to make a home truly yours or are looking to create a specific look, then hiring an interior designer can help you move the process along and also help you find exactly what you want as these individuals have connections with a lot of vendors and suppliers that could help with the design and feel of the room. An interior designer’s fees will need to be incorporated into your project budget. Interior designers can also help with recommending and/or hiring contractors. This community generally has a number of parties that work together and are familiar with each other’s style and communication methods.

An interior designer or a contractor can help with the overall project management process of the project, which could result in increased fees but if this burden is too heavy for you, this could be a great compromise. You will however need to make final decisions on the overall project process.

When hiring contractors, interview multiple ones for the job and also ask for customer references. Once you understand that the contractors have the right skill, previous experience, and you feel like you have a contract that supports both you and the contractor, then you are in a position to start the hiring process. It is important to stay involved in the process and to establish a communication methodology to keep the project on time. Both contractors and owners can slow the process down by not making decisions quickly.

Labor costs can also change should an unexpected situation arise. Sometimes delays can occur due to permits or unexpected weather conditions can delay a project, among other things. Having a fall back position in your mind or in your budgeting process of extra labor costs can help you manage through any of these unexpected situations and keep you on top of potentially increased labor costs.

It is important and best that if you do not have the time nor the skills to perform the specific project, hire the right contractor to help you get the project completed. Nothing is worse than doing a project that you are not equipped to perform and then having to redo it thus spending double or more the money due to someone needing to come in and fix the initial project.

Always keep in mind your safety if you choose to do these projects yourself. Not having the skills to perform a contact can result in safety issues that could result in more challenging situations long term.

Shopping for Project Details

Now that you know which projects are in your near future, it is time to start shopping for the specific items necessary for your project. Homeowners will often remember the large items like appliances, large furniture, cabinets, countertops, and more in a project but forget the smaller items like garbage disposals, faucets, towel racks, etc..

Understanding the features, costs and specific details of each item is important during the project lifecycle. What you want versus what you can afford is a struggle we all face with our home projects. Should you spend more money on appliances and less on flooring and countertops? If you buy the high end bath tub you really want, can you save money elsewhere on the project and still be within your budget? These types of questions are ones that many people struggle with in seeing various aspects of the big picture.

Tracking Project Costs

The phases of a home improvement project allow homeowners the ability to understand how to manage individual cost budgets for projects and help keep you aware of any changes that might occur during a project. Tracking costs of multiple projects also help track the funds and cash flow needed over a specified period of time.

By tracking the project details including receipts, warranties, and photos of before and after will come in handy during tax time of the year if you decide to sell your home. These project details also come in handy when you need to update your home inventory and details with your homeowner’s insurance agent. Making sure you are properly insured when new projects are updated can insure that you are aware of your home’s details should anything unexpected happen like a fire or some other tragic situation.

Once your project is complete, It is also time to schedule the maintenance on your newly updated parts of your home. Appliances require regular maintenance where you will follow the recommended maintenance instructions from the manufacturer’s owners manual. Other items like countertops might also have suggested maintenance depending on the materials. Follow the recommended maintenance activities for these items by referencing sources that focus on these items. Determining if you need a service provider to come into your home occasionally can also help with the process of staying on top of your maintenance.

The most common reasons a project is over budget is poor planning, no budget or estimates, no comparison shopping, bad contractor contract, and not pitching in on labor.

Following these phases of the home improvement process can help you stay aware of your projects that include the details, the schedule and the budgets. Focusing on a process can also help identify if any unexpected changes need to be made to your projects that could result in increased dollars needed to complete the project. Following these simple steps can bring awareness and visibility to home improvements along the way avoiding any potential risk of an incomplete project.

Elizabeth Dodson is co-founder of HomeZada, an online home management solution to help you manage everything about your home in one place. You can follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook.

5 Do-It-Yourself Services You Should Leave to the Professionals

November 6, 2010 By Guest Writer 6 Comments

Many people are tightening their belts in these uncertain economic times. One of the first places we often look to save money is finding projects around the home that we can do ourselves rather than calling the professionals. All do-it yourself projects are not created equal, though, and there are times when you are better off calling in the professionals rather than potentially causing more problems by doing it on your own.

Economists refer to “opportunity cost” in situations like these. Simply put, opportunity cost is “The cost of an alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action. Put another way, the benefits you could have received by taking an alternative action.” Before you decide to tackle a project yourself, it’s a good idea to consider what the real cost of doing it yourself is. For example, what will it cost you as opposed to calling a professional? If the professional won’t cost that much more, it may be worth it to allow him to do it. What will it cost you if you mess something up or if something goes wrong later? If you need to call a professional in to fix a botched job it will probably end up costing more than if you had called the pros in the first place. Additionally, there is no warranty on the work you did, so if something goes wrong later you will be footing the bill, whereas many professionals will guarantee their work for a certain amount of
time.

With those things in mind, let’s look at some projects that may be better left to the professionals:

Moving: Not only is the economy uncertain, but many of us are looking for new jobs whether due to downsizing or company closings. Often it is easier to find a job in another area so relocation may be necessary. Skip the headache of doing it yourself for the move and find yourself a good mover who will load you up and move your belongings. When making this decision it is important to consider all of the costs involved, including finding help on both ends of the move (if you don’t know anyone in your new city, you will probably need to hire movers to unload you). Other costs to consider are truck rental, fuel for the rental truck, the logistics of moving other vehicles, and travel costs such as food and lodging. It may take you twice as long to make the trip in a truck, meaning more meals and hotel stays than if you just paid professionals to make the move. Time is also a factor you will need to consider if your moving for a new job.

Garage Door Maitenance: If you’ve ever had a garage door opener stop working you realize how much we have come to rely on this relatively simple piece of equipment. While this may seem like an easy job to do on your own, there are many things that can go wrong which makes this an ideal candidate for making the call to the professionals. Keep in mind that one of the main pieces of your garage door assembly is tightly-wound high-tension wire that can be very dangerous if not handled properly. Calling a professional who replaces or installs openers on a regular basis is a good idea in this case.

Laying Sod: There’s nothing nicer than a well-maintained and nice-looking yard with healthy green grass. One of the easiest ways to get that lawn in the first place is to buy sod. Laying sod is hard work that will leave you wishing you had hired the pros to do it for you. This is a project which is also time-sensitive, so unless you have lots of time to burn, you are better off skipping the DIY and having it done for you. If you don’t get the sod laid quickly it will dry out and you will lose a chunk of your investment. Professionals will take care of the prep work for you – digging up the old lawn, getting rid of rocks and debris, and leveling the ground – as well as laying the new grass. Leave it to the pros and enjoy your nice new grass.

Kitchen Cabinets: When it’s time to remodel your kitchen, leave the cabinets to a professional. The upper cabinets, in particular, can be a nightmare, especially if they are not done correctly in the first place. Potential problems with this project include cabinets which are not level or even with one another and cabinets which don’t fit flush against the wall or corners. Cabinets are also heavy and can be unwieldy to deal with. Pros have the know-how to get the job done quickly and correctly and, if something isn’t correct, most good installers will have a guarantee and take care of any problems that may arise.

Installing a Skylight: Skylights are great for lowering your electric bill, if they are installed properly. There’s nothing better for your bill than to be able to keep an extra light off during the day, and being able to see the stars twinkling in the sky from the comfort of your home at night is a great treat. But there is nothing worse than an improperly installed skylight that has poor insulation thus increasing your heating and cooling bills or, worse, one that leaks. Call the professionals and let them do all of the measuring, cutting, and installing and save yourself many headaches later.

It is great when we can complete projects around the house on our own and save money while experiencing that feeling of accomplishment, but there are clearly jobs that are better left to those who have the knowledge, experience, and tools to get the job done quickly and correctly.

*** Isabella York is a mother dedicated to living prudently but not giving up her life in the process. Along with raising her son, she works for Balsam Hill, a purveyor of Artificial Christmas Trees.

Ten Tips for Do It Yourselfers in the Making

October 7, 2008 By David G. Mitchell 6 Comments

If you own a home, you probably already know that maintaining it costs a lot more than you expected it would when you bought it. Even if you are not living in the first home that you bought, every house I have known has cost me more time and money than I anticipated. Every time something breaks, shuts down or backs up, you face a decision – should I fix the problem myself or hire someone to do it for me.

When I first moved into my current home, I was busy with a job that demanded a lot of my time. If something broke, my first reaction was always to bring in a contractor to fix it. I worked at home so it was always easy to answer the door when the contractor arrived and then to pay him as he left. Sometimes the charge was less than a hundred dollars and sometimes it was more than $300. Regardless of charge, however, I noticed that rarely did a contractor ever spend more than an hour at my house.

Over the past few years, I have tried, more and more to fix problems on my own. I have succeeded in just about every instance – although I readily admit that when it comes to electrical matters I still bring in an expert. Becoming my own handy man has taught me a lot of lessons about maintaining my house and made me truly realize how much money I wasted by bringing in contractors to do jobs for me in the past. I still do not have the ideal workshop in my garage (although someday I hope to have it!) but I can now usually get household jobs done on my own (or, more typically, with a bit of prodding from my wife!). If you are not doing a lot of your own work around the house, you may benefit from the lessons that I have learned. You probably already have a hammer, screwdrivers and pliers but if that is all you have, read on!

Examine a Problem Before You Try to Fix It

When something goes wrong in your house, do not assume that you cannot fix it and do not assume that you know what to do to fix it unless you have done it before. If something breaks down, examine the problem until you can see what likely is causing it and how it can be fixed. Three or four minutes is often all that it will take you to review a problem, but you cannot assess your ability to remedy the problem until you know what it is.

One of the first contractors I brought into my home after we moved here was a plumber to fix a broken toilet flush mechanism. He was here for less than ten minutes and he charged me $65 – I remember the amount because I was annoyed that the fee was that great for a ten minute job. A few months ago, the flush mechanism on a different toilet in my house broke. Recalling my experience with the plumber, I took the lid off of the back of the toilet and saw that the problem was a broken chain. I also saw that the mechanism was very easy to attach to the toilet. I went to my local hardware store, bought the mechanism for less than $7 and repaired the problem in about 3 minutes. If I had not taken the time to look under the lid, I probably would have spent about $75 (allowing for inflation) to get a plumber to do what I had done in a few minutes.

Don’t Buy a Tool Unless You Know Why You are Buying It

There are a lot of really cool tools and machines that can save you time and money if you know how to use them. The key, however, is that you really know how to use them and whether a specific tool is the right tool for your needs.

About three years ago, I bought a garbage disposal for my kitchen. I assumed that all garbage disposals could dispose of all of the organic products that my kitchen might produce, especially citrus rinds. After all, I knew that the garbage disposal in my kitchen as a child could handle everything so why shouldn’t “modern” garbage disposals handle the same? Clearly, I should have done more research because the garbage disposal that I purchased was not intended for citrus rinds and it broke down about two years after I had purchased it. If I had researched the subject more completely (as I now have), I would have purchased the correct tool the first time around, and saved myself a few hundred dollars in product costs and installation charges.

Buy a Good Pressure Washer

Whether you live in a subdivision that requires you to pressure wash your driveway, walls or roof, or you just want a clean house, you need a good pressure washer. When I first moved to my home, I hired a fellow to do some pressure washing for me. He did a good job, but at a cost of $700! A few months later, I had to hire a different person to do the pressure washing. This time the cost was over $600! I was flabbergasted, as my driveway needs to be pressure washed at least once every quarter or it turns black.

I went to Lowe’s and bought a pressure washer without doing any research and came home with a washer that shot water at a rate of 1800 pounds per square inch (psi). The pressure washer was barely able to get half of the grime off of my driveway. After a year of futile effort, I bought another pressure washer, again without doing sufficient research; I came home with a washer that still was not up to the task. Finally with my third pressure washer, I had what I needed. It cost me more than the other two washers cost me in the aggregate but it does the job.

If I had listened to my own advice, I never would have hired anyone to do my pressure washing and I would have researched pressure washers much more thoroughly before I purchased one. If I had followed those two steps when I moved to my house, I would have saved well over $4000 in costs over the past 8 years!

Buy a Good Ladder

You need a good ladder. Not a step ladder. Not a little six foot painter’s ladder. You need a ladder that can get you to the roof of your house, to your gutters and to most of the tree branches that you likely want to trim. Without a ladder, you will need to hire people to (i) trim your trees and tall shrubs, (ii) clean your gutters, (iii) fix your roof, (iv) hang holiday decorations, (v) clean second story windows, and (vi) change a lot of light bulbs. All of these tasks are relatively simple but they all require a ladder. Don’t wait until you really need a ladder to purchase it. You need to have it ready when the need arises. I have 3 ladders of different heights and designs and they make it very difficult for me to feel the need to hire contractors to do a lot of simple tasks around my home.

You Need a Lot of Wrenches

If you are going to be handy around the house, you need both a full socket wrench set and a large combination standard/metric wrench set. Furniture and plumbing use a variety of bolts of different sizes and if you do not have the necessary wrenches in your tool chest, your attempts to fix a lot of things will be seriously hampered. If you had to do so, you might be able to improvise a hammer or a screw driver, but you certainly cannot improvise a wrench!

Don’t Mess with Wiring!

If you make a mistake when you are repairing a wall or hanging a picture, you will make more work for yourself. You might even create such a big problem that you have to call in an expert. If you make a mistake when you are working on electrical matters, you might kill yourself or someone else. I learned early on that I would not try to work with wiring because I am not a trained electrician. Any money I save in fixing a wiring problem on my own will be minimal by comparison to the costs I incur if I burn down my home. Don’t assume that just because you can regrout a tub or spackle a hole in a wall that you can also rewire your home. Sometimes the best financial decision is to hire a contractor.

Never Hire a Painter

House painting, in my humble opinion, is the greatest scam facing non-do-it-yourselfers today. When I was growing up, I did not know anyone who hired someone to paint their home. My parents painted. My neighbors painted. Everyone painted. When I moved into my first real home, I noticed that there were painters trucks in my subdivision every day. When my wife decided that she wanted to paint the entire house, we went with the flow and hired a painter. We suffered through his poor service for three months before he finished the job all while billing us for insanely expensive overcharges (which, in retrospect, we foolishly paid).

Last month I painted our master bathroom. My wife helped with the trim and I handled the rest. It took me four hours and cost me all of $60 – the cost of the paint and the brushes. I looked back on what we paid that first painter – about $3500 for my entire house (interior). Looking at the square footage of my bathroom, I think I can safely estimate that it will cost me about $500 to paint the my entire house so I wasted about $3000 by hiring someone the first time I wanted a new coat of paint on my walls.

Take the Time to Organize Your Tools

As I mentioned, I do not have my dream tool bench yet. Someday, there will be a corner of my garage devoted to my tools. Now, all I have is a large, 4 level storage rack, but my tools are all neatly arranged on it. I can find all of them when I need them and that ensures that I can do my jobs when I have the time to do them.

In the past, I have been less organized and thus got less done. After a while, so many jobs would pile up that we would have to bring in a contractor just to get back to square one.

Don’t Undertake Tasks that Cost You Money

There are some jobs that I could do but that I still contract out because the contractor makes it worthwhile for me to do so. The best example I can offer is that of Tony, the fellow who does my lawn. He charges me $100 per month and for that, I have my lawn mowed, edged and trimmed every week and all of my garden beds weeded. His charge includes all of his costs so I pay a flat $100 per month regardless of what he needs to do in my garden beds or with the lawn. If I were to do what Tony is doing for me, it would take me about three hours per week and I would need to purchase a lawn mower and other equipment. Considering that I pay about $25 per week for Tony’s service and given that I can earn more than $25 in the three hours that it would take me to do my own lawn, I do not see any way for me to take over my lawn care duties until I am retired and have a lot of time on my hands!

Buy a Wheelbarrow

If you are going to work outside, a wheelbarrow should be among the first items that you purchase. Whatever you are doing in your garden, chances are good that you will need to move heavy items from one place to another. Unless you are Hercules, trying to move things without a wheelbarrow will be both difficult and likely to cause injury – both reasons to find someone else to do the work for you. Buy a wheelbarrow and you will find that you have fewer excuses to justify paying a contractor to spread mulch or lay down sod in your yard.

What tools have you found that have saved you money in your home? What tasks do you feel anyone should be able to do without hiring a contractor? What tasks simply are not worth the time and effort?

Image courtesy of bradjward