The Things I Wish I’d Known Before Attempting My DIY Home Improvement Fails

Are you thinking about attempting a DIY home improvement project in the near future? If so, you may want to read this article about the things I wish I’d known before attempting my DIY home improvement fails, before you go any further. You’ll save yourself some time, money, & frustration from doing something you might regret. It might be worth the extra few minutes to glean over before you consider whether or not to swing the hammer or not…

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Have you ever made a decision that you later regret? Silly question, who hasn’t, right?

When it comes to DIY, it can be an expensive regret to repair. Check out all of the things I wish I knew before I started to do DIY home improvement projects on my house. Be sure to mull it over and make aaa mental note of my hard learned lessons to save yourself time, money, frustration, & regret later on.

Sick of looking at your ugly house? Let’s Fix that!

Plan, Research, Implement, & Go!

Let’s be honest, unless you’re gifted with a giant bank account or you’re naturally savvy, nobody really gets everything they’d actually want in a dream home,the first time around. So, before you even start your DIY home improvement project, you might have convinced yourself that you can change the look and feel of how it currently looks. It can’t be that hard right?

I mean, people upgrade and fix up their homes all the time. How hard can it really be?

And you’d be right to think that, I know I did too.

With everything you see on those DIY Home shows like HGTV and DIY network, it may look like it’s so easy, like it was all done in a day’s work. That is, if you had a film crew, a rolodex of vetted reputable pros at your fingertips, and a big budget fit for say, a hit TV show? Then yes, of course it can be done because 30+ people can do quite a bit of damage in your home as opposed to just you and your partner.

And that’s where I felt duped…

1-Start with a plan & get on the same page:

Picture this scenario in your mind:

Your partner: paints the kitchen a “lovely” shade of pomodoro red.

You: feels like you’re in H-E- 🏒-🏒, hates the color red.

Do a brainstorm session w/your partner & do a brain dump. It is important that you get on the same page with your partner from the get-go. Time, money, and effort is involved in improving your home together as a couple and a family unit. Think of how your completed project will improve your lives together and create a shared goal.

Make a list of your ideas & write down both of your wishes, wants, needs, likes, & dislikes. Hash it out from the begin and be honest about your likes and dislikes. Open communication is key to a successful relationship as well as a foundation for building your home together.

“You can’t always get what you want

But if you try sometime you find

You get what you need.”

-The Rolling Stones

Prioritize your list based on your needs & wants and create a goal and timeline for when your project will be finished. Think SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, & time bound) goal. Decide on what purpose the space will serve and who will use it the most, & prioritize the needs & wants of that person will be.

FYI: We promptly changed the paint color in the kitchen from Pomodoro Red to Morning Mist Blue and we couldn’t be happier. 🙂

Eliminate the excess, sometimes what we think we might want sounds great in our heads. But when actually written down can seem completely unrealistic. Be sure to talk it over with your partner & decide as a couple, which ideas are worth pursuing and which ones should be pitched out.

2-Do Your Research & Think ROI (return on investment):

When researching, try to keep ROI (return on investment) on the forefront of all of your DIY home improvement projects. Just because it would be cool to build a compound and have an amphitheater, tennis court, swimming pool, & guest house on your property, doesn’t mean these projects would net you a return on your investment. Decide whether or not it is worth it to have or pass on the idea altogether.

Check to see whether or not your project might be eligible for a tax credit or deduction

Create a budget: How much does your DIY home improvement project cost on average?

Create a price comparison to see whether or not it was cheaper to hire it out or DIY

Be honest about it and ask yourself: Will you enjoy the process? Or is it going to cause you more frustration than gain?

How much time, money, effort, blood, sweat, & tears am I willing to put forth with my DIY home improvement project?

Is it worth it? Am I exhausting all of my efforts or can I make smarter choices with my materials, appliances, & fixtures?

If your birthday, holiday, or special occasion comes up soon, be sure to ask for gift cards to your favorite home improvement stores.

Save your cash to buy discounted gift cards whenever there’s a sale (at least twice a year usually Black Friday weekend &/or sometime between Spring & Summer months)

Check for cash back rebates on all of your purchases using these cash back rebate programs like: Swagbucks.com, Rakuten.com (formerly ebates.com), Honey, Slick Deals, & Savings.com

Remember to stack your savings for every purchase if/when possible:

Coupons + end of season clearance sales + discounted gift cards + cash gifts you’ve received = a nice cash cushion in your bank for something more important in your future

Lather, Rinse, & Repeat

3-Ask For Advice From The Experts:

When in doubt, ask the pros for advice and suggestions. Do not go with the first choice right away just because it has a 5 out of 5 star review. Instead, consider the sources, sometimes the best feedback you can get comes from the worst reviews that you see.

Sure glowing reviews help to boost a company’s reputation and bottom line. However, the proof is in the pudding and the feedback, reviews, & testimonials will help cement your decision on whether or not something is the right choice for you and your partner. Take ample time to decide but do not let it derail your progress.

Call the city or municipality & check to see whether or not a permit is needed

Call 811 Dig to locate power lines, underground pipes, wiring, etc.

Check with a professionally licensed, insured, bonded, & reputable home inspector

Not sure whether it’s load bearing or not?

Research the pros & check reviews

Check locally via the next door app, FB marketplace, & do a google search in your neighborhood

Check the ValPak coupons or your local mailers & Ask Around (word of mouth) speak with coworkers, neighbors, friends, & family members to see who they’d recommend

Make sure you have the right tools to get the job done right

4-Implement Your Tentative Plan:

Now that you’ve thoroughly researched the topic, done your homework to decide whether its worth it to hire out your home improvement project or DIY, & created your budget, it’s time to take action. Since you’ve read to this point, I am assuming that you’ve decided to DIY your home improvement project. Yay and congrats to you! 😃 You can do this!

Look on SM (social media like Instagram & Pinterest) for dream home inspo

But do not let it suck you in, slow you down, or make you feel bad about yourself

Remember that good enough is good enough: you are enough the way you are

Decorate for you & your family’s lifestyle, not to impress the masses

Create a handful of mood board mockups

Burnout is real, its ok to take a break & walk away from it all for a few days & rest up

Make an inventory list of what you already have

Ask yourself: does it bring you joy? Keep it, otherwise donate or toss it

Remember to build around the space, not around your stuff

5-Tweak As You Go:

Remember that it is ok to tweak your plan as you go. Maybe that vase you’ve received as a gift just won’t do in your new space. It is ok to reuse it in another room or find something else that will fit your personalities much better. There is no right or wrong when deciding what works best for you.

Make more detailed plans on paper before executing

Find Alternatives-Recycle, Reduce, & ReUse

Check Restore – This is the second hand store that is affiliated with Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity. Think of it like a second hand place to get all of your used furniture appliances and fixtures. I’ve even heard it be called the handyman’s dream for finding cheap alternatives to the big box stores.

Check Craigslist – Do a quick search for the object you’re looking for like “bathroom vanity,” and you’ll have lots of results come up in your local area.

Check Next Door – same as above like Craigslist, but more so like an exclusive group of those who signed up for the next door app within your neighborhood.

Check OfferUp/LetGo – this is similar to Craigslist too. but it allows the seller to ship the item to you for an extra fee so you don’t have to go pick it up if you don’t want to. You can buy and sell across state lines like you would on eBay.

Check FB Marketplace – this is like Craigslist also but you can see who your dealing with because they have a picture in their profile.

Check ebay – Ebay.com is one of my go-to places online for hard-to-find items like parts or discontinued items that are no longer being sold.

Check Discount Retailer – Big Lots, Ollie’s, Ross,’ in similar stores like these offer great deals on home improvement items if you aren’t keen on spending a lot of money on brand name items.

Check WholeSalers/Furniture Outlets – stores like Harbor Freight, Old Time Pottery, and At Home stores can offer a bevy of home decor and Home Improvement related things to consider for your home too.

Check Amazon – check out the Lightning Deals as well as Amazon’s sister site, woot.com for amazing deals if you don’t want to spend a lot on your DIY Home Improvement projects.

6-Go Make It Happen:

Go with the flow. Give it some time to marinate in your new space and see if it is a temporary or permanent fixture in your home. Word to the wise: nothing is permanent and change can be a very good thing. 😉

Overestimate the time you need to get it done

Overestimate the cost needed for a project

Take action and tried it anyway despite the fear of failure and imposter syndrome

Give it some time to try it out

Learn to adapt and be content with our choices

But know that It’s not a permanent tattoo: if you don’t like it change it

SUMMARY—

In summary, these are the six main lessons that I’ve found out the hard way while attempting my own DIY home improvement projects. Hopefully my experiences with renovation fails gives you a clearer path of what to expect before you start your own DIY home renovations journey so you won’t make the same mistakes that I did. Maybe, you’ll have better luck than I did and you can give me a few pointers on your DIY projects too! 😃

To summarize, here are some of the things I wish I knew before my DIY Home Improvement Fails:

1. Start with a plan

2. Do your own research

3. Ask the experts for advice

4. Implement your tentative plan

5. Tweak as you go

6. Go & Make it Happen!

CONCLUSION—

To the unassuming viewer it may seem like there aren’t any other underlying problems underneath that ugly albeit innocent looking linoleum floor. That is, until you rip it off and find out that the subfloor has been rotted through and needs replacing too. Thus costing you more time and money than you had originally anticipated spending.

Wanna make sure that doesn’t happen or at least cushion yourself a little better? Then let’s make sure that you don’t make the same mistakes that I did. Let’s make sure that you have a plan, do your research thoroughly, trust yourself by implementing your plan, & go make it happen.

When done right, it will save you a ton of headache, heartache, time, & money from any potential DIY home improvement fails.

Other Helpful Resources Mentioned In This Blog Post:

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The Things I Wish I’d Known Before Attempting My DIY Home Improvement Fails

Have you ever made a decision that you later regret? Silly question, who hasn’t, right?

Plan, Research, Implement, & Go!

1-Start with a plan & get on the same page: