If DIY Was As Easy As It Is On TV

Imagine if real life was as easy as TV: we’d whip up gourmet meals in half an hour and our homes would be resplendent mansions, adorned in granite, hardwood, marble and gleaming chrome fixtures. Cooking, home renovation and decorating shows really do make it seem as if anyone can do it. And here’s the secret: sure, anyone can do it – if you take the time to plan!

However, that’s not to say the average homeowner should give up on their dreams of giving their home a makeover. Whether your idea is to rip out walls and expand a bathroom, lay new floors or come up with a new paint scheme offset with a few choice pieces of furniture, rugs and sofa – it all starts with a plan.

Plan of action
Every project needs a plan, whether you are painting a wall or making a coffee table. A pencil, a pad of graph paper and a budget will help you to draw out what materials you will need, decide on the tools you have and don’t have and add up what you think it might cost. If you are planning to makeover a room in your home, start by putting together a mood board by clipping design and decor magazines. As you build up your collection the creative juices will start to flow and you will see a pattern or style emerging. Include a floor plan; add some furniture and paint swatches to tie everything together for a cohesive room.

Paint it pretty
When choosing paint remember that there is more to paint than what’s in a can! With paint you can warm up a cool room or cool down a hot room; you can visually open up a small space and make a room seem larger than it is. Using a group of colour — a palette — will tie together the transitions in your home and make it look much more coordinated. This is more important in small spaces such as condominium living. With the trend to condos, we’re all making do with much smaller spaces where having to do more with less, noted Mayhew.

Pool your knowledge
You might not know where or how to start a project, but don’t let that stop you. Here at Home-Dzine, we have plenty of ideas to spurn you into action. If you want to learn more about the tips, tricks and techniques to tackle almost any project, sign up for a DIY-Divas Workshop. Or ask you family and friends, there’s sure to be someone who has done a similar project and can offer sage advice or helpful tips. If you are planning to do major improvements, a little preliminary investigation into how a home works (electrical, plumbing, mechanical and even structural) can save you from some mid-project surprises.

Prepare your tools and equipment
While there are more than a few jobs that you can do with a hammer and paintbrush, you might want to consider investing in a few tools for a job well done. tools are designed to take the ‘hard’ out of work, so that you can take on a home improvement project knowing it will be done faster and have a professional outcome. Even if you have a collection of handed-down tools stashed away somewhere, chances are these tools are now obsolete and won’t save you any time or money.

Pros and cons
Or perhaps that should be rephrased to ‘professionals and fools’ when it comes to DIY. There are more than a few avid DIY enthusiasts who are willing to take on any project – even one they know they cannot possible do themselves. Be savvy and know when to call in a professional.

Replacing a few cosmetic items may not require the services of an electrician or plumber, but do it wrong and you could end up with more than you bargained for! This is where your plan will be helpful in determining what you can and cannot do. It’s easy enough to hook up a tap with two braided stainless steel hoses and compression fittings, but do it wrong and your bathroom or kitchen will be flooded.

There are a lot of projects the average homeowner can tackle themselves – but there are more that are best left to professional contractors. The bottom line is that any project will benefit from some advance planning before you start. A project that is well-prepared will be less stressful and more apt to tie in with your budget.