How to Prioritize Home Projects

The one thing that every homeowner knows is that the list of house projects never goes away. There are always things to fix, cleanup, or update. Often, the long list of projects can be overwhelming, making it hard to know where or what project to start on. Additionally, most homeowners don’t have money on hand to take on all of the projects on their lists.  So how do you prioritize home projects? We’re going to walk through a few tips to help you prioritize and determine which projects to tackle first.

Safety First

When thinking of all of the different projects that your home needs, it’s important to first plan for and go after the projects that are impacting the safety of your home. This could include fixing issues with electrical or plumbing as well as fixing poor or failing construction. Although these types of projects aren’t very exciting, they’re necessary to ensure the safety of you and your family. Check out this list of known home hazards and how to avoid them.

Add Value

Next, if you’re planning to sell in the near future, focus on the projects that add value to your home. Adding additional bedrooms, updating the kitchen and bathrooms, and upgrading appliances and fixtures can all contribute to increasing the overall value of a house. Try to avoid putting money towards updating things just because they aren’t your style. If the update doesn’t increase the value of the home, then your money is better spent elsewhere.

Personalize to Your Needs

After you’ve tackled the projects that impact safety and value, then it’s time to chip away at all the other fun/nice-to-have/cosmetic projects. How you prioritize home projects will likely depend on you, your family, and your lifestyle. You could consider first focusing on projects impacting the room you and your family spend the most time in. For example, tackling projects in your family room which gets used daily rather than the guest bathroom in the basement that rarely gets used. Also consider your schedule and calendar. You may want to hold off on major kitchen projects if you’re going to be hosting an event or holiday soon. Essentially, discuss with your family which projects are most important and why. This will help you dial in where to focus first.

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