DO: Let people come and help you (it doesn't have to be professionals, almost everyone you know will have some kind of skill) - landscaping, drywall, painting, moving furniture, cleaning or whatever they want to help with! Ask you friends if they would be willing to help and your family too!
DON'T: Think you can do everything yourself. Sometimes you do need to call in a professional and let them deal with things....we had to for our furnace and some other issues.
DO: Take your time and do things the way you want them! If your house is a fixer-upper like ours don't feel like you have to get everything done right away, work at your own pace and take your time!
DON'T: Freak out when bizarre things happen, like say you turn on the faucet and the handle falls off or you blow a breaker and think that you broke a brand new appliance. A house is always a work in progress and no matter if its brand new, weird things are going to happen.
DO: Shop for items at Garage Sales and Thrift Stores, Craigslist is a godsend as well. There is NOTHING wrong with buying used. The only new appliance we have is our dishwasher, all of our furniture, lamps, stove, fridge, washer/dryer, curtains, table all of it is used! You'll save more money than you can imagine doing things this way! I don't understand people who have a complex with "second hand items" because saving money is something everyone likes to do!
DON'T: Hire a professional without checking their references, looking them up on the BBB website or asking friends and family who they have used. Then have 3 that sound good come out and give you a quote and pick the best one.
DO: Shop around at different stores (Lowes, Sears, Home Depot, Menards, local hardware stores) for the best prices on items. Sometimes they will match the sale prices of other stores if you find the same thing cheaper and don't think there is anything wrong with going to 3 or 4 places to get everything you need just to get a better deal!
I'm by no means an expert on this topic, but these are just some of my do's and don'ts.
4 comments:
That is a great list! I can tell that you are in the midst of a fixing up project : ). Very nice!
Thanks :) I'm going to do some before and after photos for a blog this week so come back to see what I've been talking about if you like!
Ahhhh, I totally want a new house to fix up.....I miss owning sometimes...
Except for the cost. lol
Yeah, I know what you mean. This is my first house, always lived in apartments in college and then with my parents, its a lot of work but its nice to have a place that's all your own!
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