Using a Home Improvement Assessment to Help You Finish Projects You Start

Home Improvement projects can get easily out of hand when you just dive into them without assessing your needs first. It is easy to start projects and then never finish them, either because you find a more pressing need or you do not have the money to finish. That is why before you start a home improvement project you really must do a home improvement assessment.

A home improvement assessment is where you look at what home improvement projects you want or need to do and figure out your budget for these projects. By doing this you will prevent many of the common issues a person faces during home improvement that often leads to the project or projects never being completed. You must look at two specific things - types of projects and budget.

There are a few different types of home improvement projects. There are those things that must be done to prevent damage to your home or if they are effecting your family’s comfort or safety. A good example is a broken window. You have to fix it right away or an array of problems and issues will come up. Another type of need are things that need to be done, but are something that can wait. An example of this type of need is siding the house. While old siding is not going to effect your home or family negatively, getting new siding will improve the look of your home and keep your insurance agent happy. Lastly, there are things that you want to do. These home improvement projects are not really going to matter if they are done or not. An example is painting the living room or adding on a deck. Once you categorize your needs you will have a better idea of what you should do first, second and what should wait for last.

Your budget is the bottom line. Once you have your list of projects based on type of need you can begin to see how many of these projects you will be able to do now and what will have to wait for later. All of the needs that must be done are first to be covered by your home improvement budget. If there is any money left over then you can go on down the list through the needs and wants. Budget problems are a top reason many home improvement projects are abandoned, so this is a critical part of a home improvement assessment.

A home improvement assessment will go along ways to ensuring your home improvement projects are a success. By planning and being very organized about the projects you have to do, you will save yourself the frustration of coming in over budget, or worse, not being able to finish because you have no money left.

Home Improvement Before Selling

Many people go into huge home improvement projects once they decide to sell their home. The idea is that they think doing these projects will increase the value of the home. The truth is that many projects are not going to raise the selling price. If you are planning to sell your home and feel you need to make improvements, then you should read below about what types of improvements to do and those to avoid.

The biggest rule when it comes to home improvement before selling is that projects should only be done if they are something that must be done or else the house will not sell. Besides necessary projects, you can also undertake some minor projects that are inexpensive, like painting the walls. Just avoid anything too expensive because it will not pay out in the end. Do not add on things like central air, a swimming pool or anything else that is consider extra because it will not reflect in the selling price.

Another thing to consider when doing improvements before selling is the outside of the house, including walkways, decks and landscaping. If you really want to increase the home’s value this is the place to look. First impressions come when the buyers step onto the property. Whatever is reflected by the exterior of the house will set the tone for their feelings abut the rest of the house. Inexpensive and simple things like, filling in cracks in sidewalks, painting a deck or adding a cheap stepping stone walkway can make a big difference.

When it comes to doing home improvements before selling it is very important for you to make sure they are done well. Shoddy work will not improve the selling price and could actually lower it. Hire a professional instead of trying to do the work yourself unless you are skilled at whatever the project is.

Doing home improvements before selling is very tempting. Often times you think that by doing a few projects you will help the selling price, but many times that is not true. Just remember any project that is too expensive and that is not necessary is just a waste of money.

Home Improvement Twice a Year Maintenance Project

To keep your house looking good and to keep it in the best condition you should plan on doing some regular home improvement maintenance twice a year. For those who live in places that have all four seasons you should do this in the Fall and Spring. If you live in a place that doesn’t experience an extreme cold period then you should simply plan to do maintenance around April and October.

One of the reasons for this regular maintenance is to repair any damages caused by weather. Extreme weather conditions can really do some damage to a house. By doing regular maintenance twice a year you will catch damage before it snowballs into an extreme problem. So, in the end, twice a year maintenance will save you money.

The following list explains the projects you should include in your twice a year maintenance schedule.

• Clean the yard of debris. Leaves and other debris should be bagged up and disposed of so it does not damage the lawn, house or other structures.
• Clean gutters. Dirty gutters can lead to water damage for your roof, walls, windows and basement.
• Treat all wood on the exterior of the home. This includes gutters, trims and decks. You should only have to treat once a year and it should be done prior to winter or, if you do not get snow, the season you get the most precipitation.
• Look for foundation or wall damage. Caulk any cracks you see and make plans to repair any foundation problems once good weather comes.
• Trim trees or shrubbery away form house. Tree limbs hanging onto a roof are the main source for all kinds of bugs in the home. By simply cutting back the limbs you can avoid large problems with many household bugs.
• Repair screens and storm windows, if needed. You should also give all windows and screens a good exterior cleaning.
  

These simple tasks will probably take a couple days, so be sure to plan ahead. It is a labor intensive project, so recruit the family to help out. Everyone will benefit from this preventative maintenance and you will be thrilled at how many problems you can avoid by sticking to a twice a year routine.