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This New Year, Resolve to Finish Those Home Improvement Projects

By: Tonya Bruin

Ottawa RenovationsAt this time of year, many of us start thinking about New Year’s resolutions. A resolution is a way to try to improve yourself, your health or your life in some way. If you have plans for renovating or improving your home, a New Year’s resolution may help you to make those plans a reality.
 
Making a New Year’s resolution is often the easy part. How do you then go about accomplishing your goal? Home improvement and renovation projects can drag on, and the costs can add up if you let them. It is always possible to make something bigger and better. So it is important to set a budget and a list of priorities and stick to it.
 
Your budget will be a major factor in determining which jobs can be done this year. First, ask yourself how much money you want to spend on a renovation project right now. Then determine what project or projects you will undertake with that budget. Any structural problems, such as the need for a new roof or repairs to a damaged foundation, should be given priority.
 
If structural integrity of your home is sound, think about any areas of your home that simply don’t work for you and your family. Maybe the kitchen is so small that only one person can work in there at a time. Or maybe your front entryway is in a constant state of chaos and needs some built-in organization.
 
If you live in an older home, your home improvement wish list may include ways to make your home more energy-efficient, such as a new furnace, improved insulation, or new windows and doors.
 
Perhaps your budget will only let you deal with one particular area of your home this year. That’s fine. Many people prefer to have only one room disrupted by renovations at a time. If you intend to undertake a renovation of your entire home, you will likely need to find alternate accommodations during the process, which could take weeks or months, depending on the project.
 
If you are renovating one room, come up with a plan to deal with the disruption. Think about ways to limit tracking dirt and dust throughout the rest of the home. If you are renovating your kitchen, plan to eat a lot of takeout and barbeque during the renovation. It may also be convenient to move a microwave oven and a refrigerator into another room, so that you can still keep basic food items at home.
 
Lastly, unless you have the expertise and tools necessary to complete the job effectively and efficiently, consider hiring a professional handyman. A reliable professional is likely to get the job done faster than an amateur and you are more likely to be satisfied with the results of the professional’s work. Book an estimate today!