developing_home_improvement_prioritiesWhen you think about a home improvement project, the considerations are seemingly endless. Any time you make a change to your home, you are making a decision that will directly affect your life on a daily basis. The idea is to make these positive changes that will improve your life, but reality rarely allows us to spend as much time and money as we wish to create our dream projects.

These natural limitations necessitate prioritization. By developing a solid list of priorities, you can approach home improvement projects in a way that will most benefit your family, and ensure those projects result in the outcome you wanted.

Here are some guidelines that will help you establish what’s most important to you.

Differentiate Needs from Wants

Setting priorities always starts with honesty. Ask yourself what actually needs to be done and what you want done to make life more convenient. As a general rule, you should tackle your needs before moving onto your wants.

Think Big… or Small

Think about how big each project is commitment wise. Would you rather tackle your large projects first and move a little slower, or would you rather check-off a number of small projects before you move on to the large-scale projects?

Deciding which type of projects you want to do first will help you prioritize.

Think Long-Term

One of the biggest determining factors in developing your priorities should be whether you’re planning on staying in your current house long-term or if you’re planning to sell in the near-future. If you’re sticking around, you have more flexibility to do exactly what you want. If you have a unique idea that would fit your family perfectly you can feel free to pursue it.

Planning to sell your home can dramatically change your priorities. If you’re looking to sell, you should probably consider projects that will add more value to the house and allow you to recoup a higher percentage of the cost of the project at the time of sale.

Consulting with a realtor is a great idea that will help you gain a better understanding of what projects to prioritize.

Consider Doing it Yourself

Most major projects are best left to the professionals, but there are many projects that can be completed fairly easily without a technical background. If you don’t mind getting your hands a little dirty, you can save a significant amount of money by doing your own work.

If you would rather spend a little more money to get your project done faster, you probably just want to go with a contractor right from the beginning.

By considering the prospect of attempting a project yourself, you can gauge whether you prioritize money or time and higher quality work more.

Proper planning is absolutely essential to successfully approaching home improvement projects. Establishing priorities is the critical first step involved in creating the home you want. Use these tips to begin thinking about what exactly is most important to you and create a list that reflects those decisions. Once you’ve prioritized and feel confident in your decisions, stick to the plan and see it through!

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