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Home Improvement Stores
On every high street and every shopping centre there is at least
one home improvement store. They cater for everything from nuts
and screws to designer bathrooms! They offer a wide range of
services and they are reasonably cheap. There are lots...
Home Improvement That Will Add Value To Your Poperty
TOP TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOUSE http://ww.bukaboo.com/index.shtml Want to sell your home quickly? Home makeovers are all the rage, but you don't have to go through a Changing Rooms-style transformation to make your property more enticing...
How To Plan For Kitchen Remodeling
Kitchen remodeling is one of the most desirable home improvement projects for many homeowners. A new kitchen increases the value of your home and makes your life easier. The first step to your new kitchen is to set a budget....
Sealing a Deck
A deck is an extension of your home’s living space and where you will spend much of your time during the summer months. Consequently, it needs to be treated and cared for as much as your home’s inside rooms.
Most important to the care of your...
When And How To Prune Roses
The following article was written by David G. Hallstrom for and originally published by National Realtors Directory.com . When And How To Prune Roses Rose bushes that are not pruned can grow into large tangled messes with small and inferior...
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Planning your DIY project
Ready to start your first serious DIY project? Read through the checklist below to make sure you are well prepared to start - and finish! - the job:
1. Do an overview of the project, making sure that you understand all its requirements. Sometimes imagining that you have been hired to do the job may help you take a better perspective on what it will take to complete the task.
2. Be realistic about your expectations. If you are just a beginning DIYer, consider completing a few small projects (like putting up shelves or fixing a garden fence) before attempting a major one. Ideally, for your first big DIY project you should select an area where it will least affect your lifestyle if left unfinished - for example, your basement or outdoors. Don't attempt replumbing the house as your first project!
3. Know where to seek help if needed. Your sources might include DIY books and magazines, relevant web sites, and DIY-savvy friends and relatives. If you are about to venture into a completely new territory, you might find it helpful to hire a professional for a few hours and try to learn the essential techniques from them.
4. Make a list of materials you need - and buy them all BEFORE you start the project. This will minimize the need for frustrating runs to the store, allowing you to completely focus on the job.
There are many online tools available for estimating the quantity of materials (like paint or tiles) that you need for a project - make use of those to save time. Some useful online estimators can be found here: http://www.construction-resource.com/construction-calculator.php. (It is also a good time saving idea to add about 10% to your calculated material requirements to allow for waste.)
5. Make a realistic budget. Remember to budget for little things such as nails, screws, hinges etc. The little things, when combined, tend to add up to significant amounts that are often overlooked during the planning stage.
6. Make a schedule. Be sure to allow for unexpected delays or having to redo parts of the
project. If you project is based outdoors, don't forget to take weather conditions into account. Consider how possible interruptions in the project are likely to affect your daily routines, and plan accordingly. For example, if your place has only one bathroom, you would want to finish any bathroom renovation project as quickly as possible.
As with material estimators, there are time estimates available online and in printed sources on how long it takes to complete certain tasks. Again, adding 10% to the suggested time requirement may save you unnecessary frustration.
Remember that every project is unique. Think where you are most likely to encounter problems, and allow extra time for figuring out solutions. Some problems are fixed pretty quickly - it is figuring out how to do it that can be time consuming.
7. Know what motivates you best and have a strategy on how to stay motivated. It is important to understand what motivational strategy works best for you, and use it consistently. Have a clear goal in mind all the time while you are on the project. Asking yourself two simple questions - "what will happen if I do?" and "what will happen if I don't?"- is one effective motivational technique. This is especially true in the case of DIY, where your actions or lack thereof are likely to have immediate - and tangible - results.
8. Last but not least - don't beat yourself when something does not go according to plan, especially if you are just starting out. This includes bad time estimates that tend to be the number one cause of frustration in DIYers. Remember that no job is exactly the same no matter how many times you do it, so you cannot possibly plan for everything. That said, your estimating and project management skills should improve over time.
About the Author
Alan Woodbridge writes about DIY projects, home improvement, and personal motivation. He is a member of the team that runs DIYProjects.info: http://www.diyprojects.info
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| Lowe's Home Improvement |
| Retailer of a complete line of home improvement products and equipment. |
| www.lowes.com |
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| Do It Yourself Home Improvement, Repair, and Remodeling ... |
| Doityourself home improvement and diy repair at DoItYourself.com. Includes diy home improvement projects, home improvement how to, home repair, ... |
| www.doityourself.com |
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| "Home Improvement" (1991) |
| Home Improvement on IMDb: Movies, TV, Celebs, and more... |
| www.imdb.com |
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| Hometime: Home Improvement, Remodeling and Repair |
| Hometime features step-by-step information to home improvement, remodeling, and repair. Projects include decks, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, landscaping ... |
| www.hometime.com |
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| Home Improvement Cyberfans |
| Information on ABC's hit sitcom Home Improvement, it's cast and their acting careers. |
| www.morepower.com |
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| Home Improvement Encyclopedia |
| Home repair, do-it-yourself and improvement advice for hundreds of home improvement projects. |
| www.bhg.com |
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| the home depot |
| www.homedepot.com/ - 2k - Cached - Similar pages |
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| Home Improvement - Do It Yourself - Home Remodeling | BobVila.com |
| Home improvement projects, featured products, tip library, bulletin board, designer tools, and information about television programs hosted by Bob Vila. |
| www.bobvila.com |
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| Do It Yourself Home Improvements - Home Improvement Information ... |
| Research do-it-yourself improvements with home improvement information from our website. Search home repair articles by subject, task or location. |
| www.bobvila.com |
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| Energy Star Home Improvement Toolbox |
| Improve Your Energy Efficiency at Home. Use our Home Improvement Toolbox to save money and help protect the environment without sacrificing comfort. |
| www.energystar.gov |
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| Home Tips: The Web's Most Helpful Home Improvement and Repair Site |
| Free home improvement advice, great remodeling tips, and appliance buying guides by leading home improvement authority, DIY expert and HGTV personality, ... |
| www.hometips.com |
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| HGTV : Decorating, Remodeling, Home Improvement & Gardening Ideas ... |
| Take a fresh approach to the way you live with HoFind ideas and inspiration from HGTV's videos to transform your home through decorating, home improvement, ... |
| www.hgtv.com |
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| Home Improvement - Decks, Flooring, Lighting, Tiling, Renovations ... |
| Do-it-yourself home improvement projects and home improvement videos for decks, flooring, lighting, tiling, renovations and more, plus tips and step-by-step ... |
| www.diynetwork.com |
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| Home Improvement TV Show - Home Improvement Television Show - TV.com |
| Home Improvement TV Show, TV.com is your reference guide to Home Improvement Show. Episode guide, photos, videos, cast and crew information, forums, ... |
| www.tv.com |
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| Home Improvement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| From the outset of Season 2, Tim and Al would make a theme of a particular home improvement project or item on Tool Time by hosting a week long "salute" to ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
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| Home Improvement Archive |
| Home Improvement Archive -- Episode Guide, scripts, articles, and much more! |
| www.hiarchive.co.uk |
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| Free Home Improvement Contractor Matching Service and Resources ... |
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| www.improvenet.com |
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| DIY Home Improvement, home repair Tips |
| DIY home improvement, remodeling, house repairs and maintainance Help Center...How To instructions for all your projects. |
| www.alsnetbiz.com |
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| Amazon.com: Home Improvement: Electrical, Plumbing, Hardware ... |
| Online shopping for Home Improvement from a great selection of Tools & Hardware; Electrical, Plumbing, Hardware, Heating & Cooling, Building Materials ... |
| www.amazon.com |
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| Home Improvement |
| AsktheBuilder.com: Build and remodel your home the right way. Learn how the master craftsmen of old built things to last. |
| www.askthebuilder.com |
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