Home Improvement Preparation Tips

If you’re planning a home improvement project this year there are several things you’ll want to take care of being starting your project. Arranging financing and hiring a contractor are givens, but there is one matter that should be handled before anyone sets foot on your property and that would included preparing your home first with a thorough clean down and discard of unneeded items.

Let’s take a look at how you can prepare your home for the improvement you have planned:

1. Throw it out — Whether you’re renovating a small den, a family room or kitchen, or the entire house, use this time as an “excuse” to throw out what you do not need. The “throwing out” part can take several angles: hauling stuff to the dump, holding a garage or yard sale, or calling up a local charity that might be glad to relieve you of your useful used items. If you donate it, get a receipt for your taxes.

2. Take an inventory — The rooms under renovation will soon look very different. Will the furniture that is in those rooms “fit” with the improved area or will these be replaced too? As with the first step you may want to donate or sell what you don’t need. Consider touching up what you plan to keep too — that couch looks tired, but it can look brand new with a new slipcover.

3. Store your stuff — Once you have gotten rid of the clutter and have disposed of what you don’t need, the rest of your stuff will need to be stored. Your attic, basement and garage are places where these items can go and a shed may work out if it is in good shape and has room. Get boxes, bags and storage containers to hold all of your stuff while the renovation is underway. Seal everything tightly and check up on your stuff too to make sure that critters aren’t using your storage as a nest.

4. Get cleaning — You’ll be cleaning after the home improvement job is done, but you should clean in advance too. That means dusting, vacuuming, wiping down surfaces and leaving the room spotless. Cleaning in advance gives you less work to do later. And, it keeps dirt from mixing in with paint, wallpaper, dry wall and other work that will be done as your home is renovated.

Once the home improvement project is done you can give your home a final clean up before bringing everything out from storage. The key, of course, is to have less stuff in your home than before and all that preparation you did has helped you to reduce what you really do not need.

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