Home improvement is also known as home renovation or remodelling and is the process of altering, remodelling, repairing, improving, modernizing or making additions to a home or part of a home. Simply put, it is the process of renovating or making additions to a home. Home improvements also include improvements to adjoining land or structures to a home, like gardens and garages.

There are many benefits of renovating homes. They include:

• Safety and Security: Old and faulty wiring, broken water pipes that seep water into walls, or drooping ceilings can lead to fire outbreaks and collapse. It is vital to take care of them in order to prevent accidents. Also important in a home is security. Adding security doors and windows as well as fire and burglary alarm systems can help occupants feel more protected.
• Beautification: Getting rid of old roofing, filling holes and cracks in walls and installing modern windows and doors are some of the ways you can improve your home’s exterior aesthetics. This can help make your home look more appealing not just to you as a home owner but visitors as well.
• Comfort: If you intend to stay in your home for the rest of your life or for a relatively long period of time you would want it to be comfortable and enjoyable to live in. Making some alterations or improvement to your house such as roof replacement or repair can help you achieve that.
• Improving Sales Potentials: If you are planning to sell or lease a part of your home, the external and internal appearance can help raise its value and make it a good deal. If the home is in a neighbourhood with many modern and appealing structures, renovating or modernizing it would help put it at par or even ahead of competition.
• Accommodating Retirement or Lifestyle Needs: Changing bath tubs to walk-in showers or relocating certain rooms in the house to make them easily accessible can help make life easier when old age comes or when a family member has a disability.

Approaches to Managing a Home Improvement Project

If you have decided to carry out a home improvement project, you would also have to consider how you are going to execute the task. You can decide to do it yourself (DIY), or use professional services such as hiring a general contractor or hiring specialized contractors.

• Doing it yourself: If you have the necessary skills you can opt to renovate your house yourself. The needed materials and equipment can be rented or bought. You can also augment your skills by purchasing home improvement books, watching videos and visiting websites that will provide you with step-by-step instructions to carrying out tasks like painting, plumbing and roofing.
• Hiring a general contractor: They will operate like the project manager for the home improvement project. The general contractor can either be an individual or a group and will be responsible for tasks like creating access to the site, coordinating work schedules and carrying out some parts of the work.
• Hiring specialized contractors: Instead of hiring a general contractor who in turn hires specialized contractors like electricians, plumbers and roofers, you can decide to hire the specialized contractors yourself to help carry out the renovations while you coordinate the project.  

Carrying out home improvement projects can be difficult and expensive. Take your time to plan and do some research before embarking on one. It is important to consider your aims as well as your budget. It’s no use sitting in a luxuriously renovated apartment if you can’t stop worrying about how you’re going to repay the loan you used to achieve it. Also in some cases, it is more cost-effective in the long run to move into a new house than to renovate the current one.

Credit: Nairabricks