Home Renovations, Save money Do it Yourself

Dr L
3 min readJul 17, 2020

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Home renovations are always at the top of every homeowners mind. Are you looking into home renovations or home repairs? Thinking about upgrading to a more modern look? If you have answered yes to either, you probably have already began exploring quotes. You are probably quickly learning that some quotes are thousands of dollars higher or lower depending on who the contractor is. This leads to the quality of the work.

Does a lower price on a home renovation mean the renovation quality is lower too?

The short answer is no. The even shorter answer is it depends on a few factors. If you get a contractor who will just throw things together and use a nail gun without using a leveler to even things out, measurements for accuracy, and a blueprint to guide the vision throughout the project, then you should be a little skeptical. However, on the same token those are all tools you can use and successful do your home renovation yourself.

When it comes to doing your own home renovations, there are things that may be out of your comfort zone. But this doesn’t necessarily mean they are out of your reach. Be prepared to push yourself and get out of your comfort zone. However, take caution in knowing this advice doesn’t pertain to electrical work, plumbing work, or anything else that may need to be up to code.

What kinds of home renovations can you do yourself?

There a plenty home renovations that you can do yourself with little to no previous experience required. Dive into doing your own window installation, vanity installation and vanity light installation. You can also dive into skim coating, covering a popcorn ceiling, installing carpet, and repairing rotting wood i.e., railings, window sills, floors, etc. These are all jobs that however around the moderate level in difficulty. These are jobs that can also be done with 1–2 people minimally. Of course if you have more people the job has the potential to go faster; note I say potential because sometimes there are too many chefs in the kitchen.

How to do your own home renovations?

Just like with anything in life, you need a plan. Your plan should include organizing your materials before unscrewing or taking down anything.
1. Gather all safety equipment i.e., googles, respirators, gloves, etc.

2. Gather all materials i.e., screw driver, drill, drill bits, pry bar, nail gun, caulk, caulking gun, insulation, and any other necessary equipment.

3. If you are getting your tips from blog posts, YouTube videos, etc. be sure to review the information multiple times. Review the information so many times that it is almost memorized because once you start, you are in the project and that’s where you attention should be.

4. Pace yourself. Pace yourself and keep in mind the time of day (so you’re not hammering away at 12am). Think about whether you need natural light i.e., when skim coating natural light may help you notice uneven spots.

In closing, you are more than capable of tackling many common home renovation projects like replacement windows, skim coating, covering a textured ceiling, installing carpet, and many other home projects. Think about it like this: every contractor started some where, and at some point it was their first project. Learn more about DIY home renovation projects you can try at: www.at-home-diy.com

Window replacement is definitely a project you can DIY!

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Dr L

A newly converted DIYer. My DIY experience includes removing and installing replacement windows, flashing windows, vanity lights, etc. www.at-home-diy.com