It is necessary to always plan ahead when decorating, renovating or building a house, whether large or small. Making plans could make many questions to come up, and the answers to one could affect the answers to the others.
Defined Goals
The goals of your decorating project must be defined if you want to be successful with the project, and there are certain questions you need to ask. Some of them are:
- Why is this project being undertaken? One reason could be that the look of the room no longer works for you, or that you just don’t like it; the answer could even be both. What about the marriage, an empty nest, children, a parent coming to live with you, the need or desire to work from your home or a change in your health?
- Does the room need a complete redo or a cosmetic update? If a cosmetic update is needed, how extensive should it be?
- Do you want to replace all your furnishings or simply hate the wall covering? It is possible for you to work within your existing walls, or structural changes need to be made? Will you need a zoning variance or building permits?
- Is your future tied to this house? Is the house an investment? What are the economic ramifications of your home improvement or decorating project? Is it your plan to live there for many years? Can your investment be recouped if you decide to sell?
- Will the value of the house or of its neighborhood be increased through the project? Is it your intention to fix up the home for it to be sold after some months or years?
If you intend living in the home for many years, it is necessary to consider the feeling of other people about the aesthetic choices made by you; anything can make the potential buyer to be really interested in making a purchase.
When decorating the home, the “how” has a direct relationship with the “what” and “why”. It is necessary to consider your goals to have all you desire.
- Can you do a do-it-yourself designing or planning, or would you like an expert to get it done for you? Do you envision being in need of furnishings or materials which are only available through contractors or designers?
- Will the work be done yourself? Do you really have the necessary skills, tools and time? If it is an extensive job, can you coordinate the subcontractors for the parts that cannot be done by you?
- Where are you going to live while the construction is going on? Can you live with the mess or inconvenience? These are important questions if you are remodeling a bathroom or kitchen, and the costs will be influenced by the answers – the expenses should be calculated if you are moving into a rental or eating out for some weeks.
