Some people are natural do-it-yourselfers, others think they are, and many just plain aren’t cut out for it.

Chip and Joanna Gaines popularized the idea of home improvements with their (2013-2018) HGTV show, “Fixer Upper.” On the show, they took old homes and made them something practically new. Joanna took the lead in design and her husband, Chip, put her ideas to reality. The show was a tremendous hit because it got people thinking. Dreaming. “What can I do to spiff up my place?”

What if we take out a wall here… add shiplap there… throw on a new coat of paint… install new hardware and fixtures… it can’t be that hard, right?

Well, it depends…

How to Survive Home Renovations

Being truly honest, I would have to say that I am just plain not cut out for home improvement projects. I know next to nothing about them, but from experience… I can tell you a few tips on how I have learned to survive.

First, have a plan (and a back-up plan).

First of all, you need to ask yourself, “Am I prepared?” You maybe thinking, well, duh…. that is why I am reading this post. I have no idea where to begin… okay, perfect!

The very first thing you must do is dream. Imagine. What would make your space better, more cozy, more inviting, more practical, more organized…

Can you picture it? If not, that is completely normal (and you are just like me)… you probably need some inspiration!

Some of my top go-to’s for that spark of imagination are:

• Pinterest
• Magazines (like Better Home & Gardens, The Magnolia Journal, and Country Living)
• and walking around a local home improvement store (like Menards, The Home Depot, or Lowes).

Once you begin to have an idea of what you want to improve. You need to develop a plan. How is this going to get done? What supplies do I need? How much do I estimate this will cost? Is it withing my budget? How much time do I need? Do I need help? Do I need to watch some YouTube videos to get an idea of where to start?

But… the planning doesn’t end there.

You need to…

Second, break you plan down into smaller, achievable steps.

Now, from what I have found, this is not naturally a guy thing. They mostly just jump right in and have it all figured out in their heads.

But as a wife… it really helps me to see progress and to not get annoyed or frustrated because I’m not really understanding the process and how much work goes into these types of projects. Communication is key!

The small steps help me to feel like I know what is going on and they help my husband not to feel lost and weighed down amidst big projects.

For example, when we re-roofed our house at the beginning of this summer. Each day, we would have a goal of what we wanted to get done. (Tear off the shingles, repair damaged trusses, replace plywood, lay water and ice barrier, start shingling, etc.) These daily goals were our smaller steps to the big picture and they helped us stay on course for getting it all done!

Of course, I was not the one out there stripping the shingles off the house and pounding nails into our roof. But, I tried my best to do what I could to help. I kept the refrigerator stocked with drinks, bought popsicles to help the guys stay cool, made and bought meals, wheel burrowed loads of shingles and cleaned up nails from our lawn with a magnet. Every. Little. Bit. Helps.

Third, be ready for a dirty house.

DIY projects are messy, dusty and down-right dirty. They will disrupt the flow to your daily living. Your house won’t be spotless. Dust will creep into areas you never thought possible. But, as long as you know this ahead of time. It will be okay.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Just take each day as it comes. Pick up what you can, but don’t stress yourself over a little dirt. Eventually the project will be over and you can clean your house to your heart’s desire.

Fourth, count on the unexpected.

Now, even the best planner cannot prepare for the unexpected. And at least in our experience, the unexpected happens more regularly than expected.

It is part of living in an older home. You never quite know what is underneath until you rip it apart.

It could be fire-hazardous wiring (literally wires twisted together, with no proper connection when we gutted our bathroom), rotten boards when we replaced our roof and windows, and the list could go on.

As a rule of thumb, I always plan on projects taking three to four times longer than my husband tells me they will take. Not because I doubt him and his abilities, but instead, I know that the unexpected happens. And if I tell myself it will take much longer, I don’t get discouraged when it does take that long. And on the plus side, I get super excited when it gets done earlier.

Fifth, appreciate the little things.

Doing your own work, on your own home is, in the end, rewarding. You know the blood, sweat, and tears that made it happen. You know the sacrifice. The hours. The money. The frustrations. The problems that were solved.

You know every step that was taken and decision that was made. And that is special. It’s yours.

It is that personal touch that no one else could envision.

In the end, DIY projects make your house a home. A place that you not only live in, but want to settle in for the rest of your life. A place were you not only envision your future but a place where you want to live it.