Home Improvement Planning Ideas

Last week I wrote about The Mythical Two Day Project, which can basically be summed up as that reasonably hard project we all think we can accomplish in “just two days” if everything went perfectly (and we had the expertise, experience, time, manpower, and supplies at just the right time). Almost all of my two day projects take at least three days, and usually five or six to finish. So, to help myself improve, I’ve thought of a few planning strategies that would help me better estimate what a project is going to take. This list is by no means comprehensive, but rather just a few ideas for doings things better. Let me know what you would add to my list, or how you would change it.

1. Think about everything that must be done for a project to be successful. For instance, this past weekend we decided to paint the dining room, a project we’d been putting off for two years. But, we didn’t only want to paint it, we also wanted to sand down the stiple ceilings and throw up a fresh coat of ceiling white. Since our dining room is small, we also opted to move the furniture out of the dining room into the living room to paint. After everything was said and done, it took nearly 24 person-hours to complete (we had some help). I would have never guessed it would take that long to do the job! Fortunately, with some help, we were able to get the job done in only 2 days.

2. Know your limitations, or at least your learning curve. Most home improvement jobs require some kind of know-how, particularly jobs that require plumbing or electrical. If you don’t have that know how, you must account for the additional learning time to do it. For me, this also includes 3-4 extra trips to the store as I learn (through trial and error) how to do this job.

3. Make lists. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to run back to the big box because I haven’t had everything written down on a list. I usually start a list after I figure out what I need to do, and by that time, I’m writing down everything all at once. I’ve found its better if I start a list at the beginning of a project and carry it around in my pocket, adding to it as things come up. Now, if I could only remember this advice at the next project!

4. Make friends. There’s no better way to reduce the amount of time a project takes than to add free labor. I’ve made it a habit of helping everyone I can with their projects so I can ask nicely for help with my own. Besides, most projects require at least 2 sets of hands. Some will require 5 or 6 sets!

What do you think? What would you add to my list? What would you change? Leave a comment and let us know.