Home maintenance is often something of a bit of a challenge for the average household. You might be blessed with DIY talents or those in your household who might be a dab hand with a paintbrush or an electric power drill.
For some people, though, tackling and completing home maintenance tasks is near to impossible. Some often have a track record of starting one maintenance task in the home and moving on to something else while the previous task is only halfway done. The result is a home that looks like a work site, rather than a space for your loved ones to feel safe and comfortable.
Tackling and completing home maintenance successfully takes a lot of perseverance and the ability not to procrastinate – which is easier said than done. However, with a few helpful tips, you might find you’re able to complete tasks more easily than you thought. Here’s the Cosy Home guide to tackling and completing home maintenance tasks successfully.
Have a detailed to-do list
First and foremost, a to-do list will make everything a lot easier because you know what needs doing and what perhaps needs prioritizing over other tasks.
It’s easy enough to forget to do certain home maintenance tasks, so being aware of what needs doing is going to make a big difference. Take a look at your to-do list and add anything that needs doing. This might be something that you break up into seasonal maintenance tasks or allocate by room.
For example, if you need to do a lot of work on the exterior of the home, you could always head up a section of your to-do list with the exterior and have bullet points that come under this heading to separate it from the rest of the list. Whether that’s mowing the lawn, painting fences, or jet-washing walls.
A detailed to-do list is going to ensure you get everything done without needing to worry about forgetting anything in the process.
Tackle one project at a time
Tackling one project at a time is the smartest way of making sure you are successful with every task that needs doing. If you’re flitting from one project to another, everything is going to take a lot longer to complete and you risk having your home in a constant state of disarray as a result.
By tackling one project at a time, you’re going to find that home maintenance tasks are completed a lot faster as a result and you’re likely to find that your home is in less of a state of disrepair too.
Consider what projects need to take priority and how you can tackle each one individually so that they’re completed fully before moving on to the next one. It is tempting to go between two or three projects but focusing your attention on just one is going to be the best course of action moving forward.
Assess budgets and create a spreadsheet
What budget do you have available for the home maintenance task that needs completing? Assessing your budget is a good way to know how much you have available to spend right now and how much you’ll need in the future.
A home maintenance task is not often the cheapest of tasks to undertake. Some tasks can be more costly than others, plus there could be projects that evolve into something more substantial if you discover an unexpected fix or repair that needs to be sorted.
With that in mind, take a look at the budget you have available and create a spreadsheet to help manage your money expectations. The last thing you want is to find yourself short of money at the end of the month so it’s good to be proactive and assess your budget carefully before going ahead. If possible, try and keep a little extra aside for those unexpected house issues that evolve.
Have the right tools and equipment for the job
The right tools and equipment for the job are essential when it comes to home maintenance. If you don’t have the right tools or equipment, there will be problems. After all, you don’t want to start a home project for it to go downhill because you don’t invest in the right timber for your decking or the best power tools to take on some floating shelves.
Everything you do when it comes to providing quality maintenance to your home is influenced by the type of tools and equipment you use for the job. With that being said, be mindful of what home maintenance projects you undertake because you want to be able to obtain the right tools and equipment needed for the job in hand.
Take progress pictures to stay motivated
In order to stay proactive with your home maintenance, it’s useful to take progress pictures. This is a great way to keep you motivated and heading in a direction of completing anything and everything you take on in and around your home.
Sometimes, a before picture and a picture when progress has been made is good to look at side by side. You might have had a few obstacles in your path to completing the project, so these pictures are a good motivator to push forward.
Know when to hand it over to professionals
Of course, a person’s talents in DIY will only go so far. Some people have more talent than others when it comes to home maintenance, so make sure you’re only doing what you can take on yourself with your current experience.
Anything outside of your area of expertise is worth handing over to the professionals. This will avoid any unexpected problems or nasty mistakes that end up costing you money as a result. Knowing when to hand it over to professionals is essential when it comes to home maintenance, so be sure to hand over the reins when required.
Finally, make sure you have enough time to do the work needed. The worst thing you can do is take on home maintenance projects that are time-consuming when you don’t have the time available.
These tips are a great way to tackle your home maintenance successfully this year and every year.
