It doesn’t matter whether you own a fixer-upper, a condo in a well-maintained community or a newly built home. Owning your own house leads to some improvement itch in almost every homeowner (or at least requires you to do some occasional maintenance and repairs). Below are some of the best tips on how you can improve your home in 2020.

Plan your Project and Get Bids Well in Advance 

Ever tried searching for a handyman in March to complete a three-season porch by mother’s day? This would be more expensive than if you’d planned well in advance and found a good handyman in February.

Most handymen plan their projects in advance, so this would be disputing their schedule. They’ll charge you way higher than they would if you had notified them earlier. Also, building traders have low and busy seasons. Plan in advance, and you’ll acquire affordable but good bids during the former seasons. Some of the best seasons to plan include:

• Cleaning of chimneys- anytime except fall
• Indoor renovations- during the rainy seasons or winter
• Roofing- rainy seasons
• Project design- winter and fall
• Foundation repair– during summer

You should be aware of the major details that are key to your home’s improvement. These include the design, materials, cost and time. Nothing is more expensive than having to “remodel midstream” (for instance, you need the foundation repair to include different materials or want to move your furniture to a different location). To avoid such inconveniences, conceptualize your home improvement by making use of design tools and include a well-planned buffer (15-20%) to your financial budget and additional time in case of unavoidable circumstances.

Save Money for the Project 

The more money you save for the project, the more you’re left with to complete other tasks. Apart from understanding the best remodeling projects that will ensure value for your money, understand the elements to skimp or splurge on. Spend more time and resources on parts that might be difficult to replace like your flooring. If you intend to put the house up for sale, aesthetics are critical to increasing interest in the property.

Select the Best Contractor 

Finding the best contractor is as crucial as finding the best psychiatrist or doctor. The possibility of being scammed or a contractor doing shoddy work is high. In addition to poor work, you’ll be forced to redo, leading to additional costs that would have been avoided if you would have taken time to find the best contractor. Ensure you vet your prospects carefully and thoroughly.

Below Are Some Ways You Can Get the Best Contractor:

• Seek recommendations from friends, supply houses and neighbors.
• Check for customer reviews
• Verify their insurance. Don’t compromise on this.
• Meet them

Having to remodel or add a room after the work is complete is ridiculous. To avoid such a scenario, you should hire a professional designer to sketch a plan, this will help in tailoring the space to fit.

Sometimes you may require some details to perfect the project. Most professional designers will walk you through the sketch at an affordable fee. Your aim should be to gather lots of visual materials to contribute to your opinion. It is vital that you go through the designs with your spouse and make sure you’re both happy with the additions before breaking ground on the renovations.

Get the Right Tools 

Home improvement requires multiple tools. For minor improvements and repairs, you could do with having a toolbox that has all the basic tools like a pair of pliers, wrench, Phillips screwdriver among others. Also, don’t forget your smartphone might be the best tool in your toolbox. It always comes in handy when you’re looking for alternatives to fix or improve different parts of your home.

Shop for the required tools yourself. You may spend a lot of money trying to stockpile materials such as drywall and electrical wiring. But for other essential tools such as countertops and carpeting, shopping for them yourself will pay off.

In addition to getting what you want, shopping for basic tools yourself gives you a chance to bargain. You may choose to reuse some materials to add a unique touch to your home.  But, ensure you first inform the contractor, to avoid unnecessary costs due to lack of communication or additional requests.

Hone your Home Improvement Ideas and Skills

Whether big or small, all home improvement projects teach us some basic improvement skills. (There are things we should never have to pay for to be fixed). Implement new ideas and learn more skills by volunteering on similar projects near your home. Read great sources and try starter projects too.

Mostly, doing the whole home improvement exercise yourself is one of the best ways to save on costs. However, if you lack the necessary skills, you can do some part-time tasks. For instance, consider doing some labor-intensive tasks such as painting and digging during foundation repair.  Agree with the contractor in advance and coordinate these tasks with them.

Once you commit yourself, ensure you do a good job in time. Tardiness can lead to more costs if the construction schedule is thrown off.

Schedule Future Upgrades in Case You Can’t Afford Them Now 

Sometimes homeowners want to do complete home improvement at once. This is not necessary. Instead, start immediately and continue gradually as you add more improvements.  However, plan your work first, so that you avoid remodeling what is already done.

For Instance, Think Through:

• Rough plumbing for future hot tub
• Rough framing for future windows

A house truly becomes your own after you customize it to your unique style. Our home improvement tips will help you rock those upcoming yard and remodeling projects. Follow these tips, and you’ll see the value for your buck.