Expert Advice And Tips For DIY Home Remodeling Projects

 Homeowners inevitably find themselves dreaming of how they can improve their existing spaces. Whether it's a kitchen, a bathroom or even a full remodel, these projects fall into the "do-it-yourself" category.

Some renovations are fairly straightforward and basic, while others can be complex or quite extensive. Regardless of the size and scope of the project, it should be approached carefully and with plenty of planning ahead of time.

The fact is that any home remodeling project can become overwhelming, no matter how small. Fortunately, your project will go more smoothly once you know a couple of insider tricks. And one great way to help your home renovation or remodel go smoothly is with some good advice from the pros.

7 Expert Advice Tips to Help With Your Next DIY Home Renovation Project

While you may be quite experienced with this type of work, it is always helpful to get expert insights. And because every project is different and unique in it's own way, much of the advice given is somewhat general. With that in mind, here are seven tried-and-true tips collected from a variety of home remodeling experts and professionals.

1) Always Have a Plan

Have a plan of action that is scheduled, detailed, and as complete as you can make it in advance. And not just a design plan. Whatever you do, don’t start a remodel without a detailed floor plan. Remember the old saying, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

While you may be able to complete a project without a plan, if you want to do avoid major issues you should consider hiring a designer. In fact, some projects require an architect to help you come up with a good plan.

2) Select Your Products Early

By making your product selections early in the process you can prevent delays later on. In fact, one of the best ways to ensure that your remodel goes well is make all the necessary decisions before the work starts. A good builder can advise you of the likely situations that might come up on your job.

Most of the issues, however, are related to things like the paint, trim and fixtures selection. If you wait until you are ready to paint, or install a fixture, before making your selections, you may run into problems. A delay in getting materials can escalate into bigger delays and rescheduling of vendors and contractors. Advance planning can also help keep you on budget.

3) Expect the Unexpected

You never know what you may run into with a project. Although remodeling can be exciting and inspiring, it can also create a great deal of frustration when you encounter unexpected problems and delays. Also, be ready for the inevitable inconveniences that come from living in a construction zone.

It can be quite difficult to live without a kitchen, for example. One way you can minimize inconveniences is by setting up a temporary living space away from the construction area.

4) Have a Contingency Fund

You should always plan for having a contingency fund. The nature of construction projects almost guarantees that the work you want to do will cost more than you expected or budgeted. But you're not alone! Almost no one manages to set a realistic budget for a project, especially homeowners. Even professional contractors know that the budget can be the diciest aspect of a building project.

Also, avoid using your contingency fund to "stretch the budget" on your project. If you follow the first tip here and make every decision ahead of time, you can probably manage with a 5 to 10 percent contingency fund if all goes well.

5) Make Sure the House Warrants the Investment

Make sure your home is not a house that needs far more than cosmetic fixes. Although it's not likely, there are times when a house should be torn down rather than put money into trying to fix it up. For example, installing new kitchen cabinets in a house with a sagging foundation, or a high-efficiency HVAC system in a house with no insulation can actually be a poor investment. If in doubt, have a trusted builder give you an assessment.

6) Keep the Changes to a Minimum

Don't make a lot of changes once you start. It's quite likely that you'll change your mind about something on your project, especially if there are two or three of you making decisions. But keep in mind that each change costs more money. And, although a change by itself may seem minor, they incur added costs and often the scheduling will be impacted, as well.

This is not to say that you have to be immovably tied to your original plan, but be aware that every change costs time and money, so consider them carefully.

7) Plan for Having Contractors

Larger renovations and remodels - even a DIY project - will involve contractors. Whether it's an electrician, plumber, or a painter, you may have professionals in your home working for you at some point. A few things to keep in mind:

• Don't buy your own materials. While it seems like a way to save money because the contractor will mark up the cost of materials, he or she may get a better price than you to begin with and, even after their markup, you'll pay about the same price.
• Secondly, don't be a distraction. Every minute a contractor spends talking to you is a minute not spent working on your house. Keep the conversations to a minimum and focused on the work.

DIY Home Renovation Projects Require Junk Hauling

One of the inevitable realities of any remodel or renovation is the need for continual clean up.  One option is to rent a commercial dumpster for collecting an disposing of any and all your project debris. Dumpsters are a good idea for construction debris removal for home remodeling projects.

However, the traditional full-sized dumpsters offer a few problems for the homeowner or do-it-yourself business owner:

• The cost is often prohibitive.
• The space that is taken up can be inconvenient and obstruct driveways or parking lots.
• Traditional dumpsters also are unsightly eyesores that sit in your yard or parking lot for days, attracting unwanted animals and glares from your neighbors.
• Finally, you often will be charged separately for any labor that goes into a dumpster rental.

Junk King solves this problem with the option of using Mini dumpster drop-off services. With the MINI dumpster,  these issues are either eliminated or minimized. The smaller size and quick delivery and pick-up service makes this dumpster the right choice for those larger junk hauling needs.

Homeowners can now rent and load these revolutionary Mini dumpster boxes themselves. These rental boxes are great self-service dumpsters for work projects, home renovations and other types of cleanups. And the small size offers a dumpster that is compact, affordable and easy to use. Equipped with special polycarbonate wheels, these driveway-friendly boxes will arrive on-site without causing damage to a driveway or property.

The Mini dumpster services feature an online booking system. Junk King will drop off the dumpster and arrange for it to be picked-up once filled. The materials will be sorted so the items can be reused, repurposed and recycled.

In addition to redirecting materials away from landfills, the services are insured to make certain nothing is lost or damaged. In terms of pricing, customers only pay for the space used.

No matter what size the project is, or how long it might take, having the convenience and flexibility of a MINI dumpster for your residential junk removal needs is a great option. 

Why It Always Pays to Choose Junk King

Whether you are reconstructing a home or preparing for a move, we provide our customers with the tools they need to clear away unwanted clutter.  From a warm and friendly crew that will do the heavy lifting for you to a fleet of mini dumpsters that allow you to do it yourself.

Ready to get rid of that junk? It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3. You make an appointment by booking online above or by calling 1.888.888.JUNK (5865).

Our professional and insured trash removal team will show up at your home or office; we call 15 minutes before we arrive on site and we’ll give you a free estimate based on how much room your items take up in our truck. You point and we haul your items into our junk removal trucks, with no hidden fees.