RESOLUTIONS! IT’S TIME TO TACKLE THOSE HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
I am a columnist for Duluth Superior Magazine, a monthly publication dedicated to the finer attributes of life in our Northland. My column appears in the Style section and is titled ‘Living by Design’. The following column was published: January, 2012.
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RESOLUTIONS “It’s time to tackle those home improvement projects”
Tis the season … for resolutions. Yes… we all know about the common ones: exercise, lose weight and get more sleep. But the resolutions I’m proposing address ones that we tend to put off because, frankly, many of us just don’t know how to get started. I ’m talking about those home improvement projects you’ve been dreaming of for several years. Whether it’s re-decorating your living room, a new kitchen or bath or creating a basement family room … how do you get started?
First and foremost, confirm your family’s commitment to your home. If it is short term, your improvements should be confined to ones that improve ‘curb appeal’ to a potential buyer. Keep your investment to a minimum. Consider a kitchen facelift in lieu of a complete remodel.
If your plans are long term, start with a list of what you would like to tackle – both big and small. Understand that most home improvement projects start with a mix of two parts dream and one part reality. But dreaming is okay … great things come of dreaming. By engaging the entire family in this process, you will benefit from each member’s perception of your home and what is important to them. At one point, our family discussed moving to a larger home so our kids would have more room to spread out. When we discussed this idea with them, we learned that they loved the house we lived in, small as it was, but thought a ‘computer room’ would be nice. We agreed that we could all benefit from that, and it turned out to be a much smaller project and investment than moving. It was a good fit at that time in our lives.
Once your list is compiled … prioritize. Identify a logical sequence that allows completion of each project without the ‘undoing’ of a previous project. Don’t remodel your back entry if future plans include a new kitchen that might expand into that same space. Focus on projects that will enhance the quality of your family’s life in your home. Those same projects will generally improve the value of your home, as well.
If your home is in need of routine maintenance… tackle those projects first. Though un-glamorous, a new roof or furnace will protect your home’s function and value. While you are picking off the routine maintenance projects, start assembling information about your dream projects. Clip pictures that appeal to you from shelter magazines. Check out design books from the library. Visit design studios and talk with their specialists. Doing so will help you get a handle on the best strategy to complete your project. Design specialists will also help you with budgeting – an important step to assure that you will be able to complete your project without straining your family’s finances. And if you are thinking of a major remodel such as a kitchen or bath, know that the cost to complete such a project will never be more affordable than it is right now. So don’t delay… roll up your sleeves and give it a go!
