How to break down DIY tasks into easy weekend projects

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If you think you’ve got no time for fixing up your home, think again! You may believe that DIY tasks will require too much energy after a long week but the reality is that many updates can be performed over a series of free weekends. Breaking a project down into smaller parts makes it more manageable and removes some of the resistance to getting started on a DIY task. This also has the side benefit of spreading the cost over time. Whether that’s buying some pots of paint, replacing tiles on the bathroom wall or putting in a better garden fence, dividing expenses over a few weeks or months isn’t a bad thing! Here are 5 ways to update your home and garden that are cost effective and relatively painless to do…

1 REPLACE THE FENCING

Depending on how old your home is, the wooden fencing around the garden might have seen better days. Whether it’s been gradually eaten away by wood-boring beetles because the fencing wasn’t treated with a protective coating first, or its just too old and has some panels missing, you know it’s time to go to a DIY store and order a new fence. If you’re looking for more affordable garden fence panels, the collection at fencestore.co.uk provides something for all budgets and requirements.

With garden fencing, there are different styles and types of wood used. There are also several types of protective coatings to choose from too. The idea with these is to create a film over the wood that prevents rain water from seeping into the structure causing long-term damage. An effective paint suitable for wooden fencing also protects it from UV damage over time too. A new wooden fence adds considerably to a property’s value and is one less thing for a potential new owner to worry about if you’re thinking of selling up in a few years’ time.

2 DECORATIVE ENTRANCE

Whether you have an enclosed porch or a covered archway, there is much that you can do to make it more attractive. Porches that are enclosed can be spring cleaned and the windows given a professional-level cleaning too. Adding a hanging plant or a couple of standing plants brightens up the porch area and gives it new life. Blending in plant life at the front of the house brings a new vibrancy and the richer colours from the front garden can extend inside the home. When there’s a front archway but no built-out porch, then depending on the size of the archway and surrounding area, this can be decorated with plants or perhaps a seating area could be added to sit out the front of your house.

3 DON’T FORGET THE HALLWAY

The hallway or entryway is mostly forgotten even though it’s the first thing we see when coming in through the front door. Most hallways are slender and often poorly lit too. This creates an initial impression of a gloomy, uninteresting home. If this is the case, why not decorate the space and alter the feeling it creates?If the hallway isn’t already painted in a light hue, or has dated wallpaper, consider painting the walls with a light tone to make the whole space feel brighter. Changing the lighting to bright LEDs helps to illuminate the space and the light will be reflected off the brighter painted walls too. Doing so removes dark corners: it’s a bit of a trick of the light, but it works wonders!

A slim table hugging the side wall or positioned to the side of the front door provides a place for your keys and other quick-access items. You want to avoid having too much furniture in this area as it will only make the space feel cramped. Any shoe storage or coat rack should be modest and not obstruct the floor space.

4 DECLUTTERING FROM TOP TO BOTTOM 

The longer you’ve owned the home, the more clutter tends to accumulate. The net result of this is a spare bedroom stacked with boxes or a garage that’s been turned into a hiding place for the clutter. Whatever clutter that sits in the interior of your home restricts floor space and makes every room feel smaller than it really is so the best thing to do is to go through each living area at time. Check out my blog post on the KonMari method of decluttering before you start. 

You can do one room every Saturday and work your way through the house over a few weekends if that makes it more tolerable. Tackling an entire home decluttering project all in one day is a bad ideas because it may be chewing off more than most people can handle. Consider whether the items are still needed or could they be Freecycled, donated to a charity shop, or sold on eBay or Gumtree? Clearing out the clutter will make you feel better and your home will look more spacious.

5 FIXING UP THE BATHROOM

The bathroom shows signs of age over time. Tiles get chipped, the grout between the tiles accumulate dirt and becomes grey, and the bathroom units don’t last forever. There can also be pesky issues with a sink that leaks water or a toilet that doesn’t always flush correctly. Now would be a good time to review some YouTube videos to help diagnose what the cause of these issues are. If you cannot figure it out, then calling in a professional isn’t a bad idea to fix the problem once and for all.

Whatever the issues are in your bathroom, make a list and a plan for solving them. Do you have a missing ring on a shower curtain and a tear on it as a result? Buy a replacement that fits well and looks good. Does the flooring never seem to look perfectly clean? Look into better methods for bringing older bathroom flooring back to a nearly new state. It does take a bit of time for investigation and taking action, but you’ll be pleased with the results once the issues are all taken care of.

Making changes to your home doesn’t have to mean completely remodelling and tearing through non-load-bearing walls like the home renovation shows you see on TV. Smaller updates and subtle improvements can be just as meaningful if you pick the right ones that matter most to you. AND you can tackle them bit by bit during your time off – bonus!

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