How to Prepare your Home for a DIY Weekend

Are you excited about the do it yourself (DIY) project you’re going to embark on for the weekend? Well believe it or not, if you wait until the weekend before you start preparing, you will spend much of the weekend getting ready and not actually working. Preparing your home for a DIY weekend during the week can help you pick your project, buy your supplies and prep the area you will be working in. Here are tips to prepare your home for a DIY weekend, to help you use the weekend to achieve your DIY goals.

Do your research during the week: Believe it or not, there are millions of do it yourself projects out there, and if you don’t research how much time it takes to perform the project, supplies, etc… you will be disappointed at your progress over the weekend.  When choosing projects, use websites that outline how difficult the project is, how many people are needed, an approximate budget, and how long it will take. This will help you choose projects within your expectation level.

Ask for help before the weekend: Many DIY projects are one-person jobs, while many are not, or could be made easier with more than one person.  Once you’ve decided on a project, determine how many people will help you make the project easier to perform. Ask friends, family, and neighbors in ample time before the weekend for them to check their schedules. Always ask more people than you need, to account for ‘no-shows”, sickness, etc.. You will have a piece of mind performing your project with help. Also research their expertise level for the project you will perform. Buy supplies before the weekend: There is no doubt you will visit your local hardware or home improvement store several times during your DIY project. To prevent having to spend half of your weekend going back and forth, purchase supplies during the week.  You will most likely get in and out of the store faster than the weekend, and you won’t feel pressured to run back home because you’re in the middle of your project.

Prepare the area in your home in advance: Painting jobs, remodeling and do it yourself projects that require moving furniture, removing light switch receptacles, etc… can be done throughout the week. Empty out bookshelves, declutter and organize rooms that will later be worked on. Many a homeowner spends much of their weekend preparing their space and are dismayed when Sunday night comes and they have just began their project! Even if you have to put off your project for another weekend, arm yourself with the gift of time. Your project will come out nicer and with less mistakes and derailments.

Your do it yourself project just became easier with the help of these tips. Before you decide on a project, walk it through from beginning to end on paper and in your mind, as well as with the people that will assist you. Communication and planning are the success tools for pulling off a good DIY project.  These tools will also help you prevent going over time and over budget, because you would of planned out many of the necessary roadblocks far in advance. Get ready to tackle your DIY project this week, and your weekend will be something to look forward to.

Freshome readers, what tricks do you have for preparing for your DIY weekend, before the fact? Tweet Share on Tumblr