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The best part about owning a home is that you can do whatever you want to it.  And even if you don’t enjoy home improvement stores, it’s still hard to avoid them once you own a home.  And with the new flood of home buyers, taking advantage of the tax credit, home improvement is the inevitable to most new owners.

While it’s much cheaper to do the improvements yourself, projects can often become overwhelming – especially for new buyers who have little experience with construction work.  Making mistakes can also quickly escalate the cost of the project, so it’s crucial that every project is thoroughly researched and well planned.

Before you begin your new project, here are 10 home improvement tips to help you avoid the costly mistakes.

1. Underestimating the project.  Before you begin, it’s a good idea to make a list of steps to follow, and get a second opinion on if you missed any steps or unforeseen complications.  Also, be sure to give yourself plenty of time in case the project runs a little longer than estimated.

2. Not shutting the water off for kitchen and bathroom improvements.  Whenever you’re working near pipes and the water supply, it’s a good idea to not only know where the shutoff is, but also turn it off before you take the sink apart to prevent a flood.

3. Not making room for all the debris.  Demolition creates a lot of garbage you’re going to need room for.  It’s a good idea to decide how to get rid of it before you start because you may not realize the cost of getting rid of debris.

4. Not covering surfaces.  If you’re painting, you should cover the floor with tarp, if you’re hammering and demolishing walls, cabinets, etc, every finished surface should be covered to prevent scratching and damage.  Even your walls should be protected if you don’t want to repaint.

5. Demolishing in a rush.  While it might seem easy to just cut a hole, tear down a wall, or break away a cabinet – the truth is, you should always double check its structure before beginning demolition.  You wouldn’t want to have it halfway off when you realize there’s electrical components still attached in the back, so double check before you begin demolition – as it may be too expensive to remove.

6. Not finding the gas shutoff when doing construction around kitchens, fireplaces, and other things that require a gas line.  Also not being cautious towards where gas lines are is a big mistake.

7. Not doing the electrical properly.  While it’s easy to run many extensions cords and changing two prong outlets to three prongs with a converter – the safest thing is still to have a professional rewire it correctly to suit your needs.

8. Working from the bottom up.  In many projects, it makes more sense to work from the top down because you don’t have to worry about the mess you’re making if the floors are being replaced too.  So be sure to think about the order in which you do the projects.

9. Not protecting the floors during the move.  Moving can really scratch up your hardwood floors – especially if you are moving in appliances, so be sure to cover the floors first.

10. Not being prepared for plumbing to take longer.  Whether you’re installing a new sink or re-routing the plumbing, be prepared if it doesn’t get done by the end of the day, so that you and your family are taken care of if you’re left without running water or a toilet for over a day.

(Photo courtesy of Dean Terry)

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