While the current circumstances are not the best for getting things done, they do allow time for dreaming. And the best kind of dreaming leads to planning and, eventually, to the dreams coming true.
Spending so much time at home creates lots of opportunity to think about what you would do to improve your house, if you could.
You may well find that making the changes you want isn’t such a far-off fantasy, and there’s never been a better time for working out how you might do it. Whether your dream is for an en suite bathroom, a garage, a loft extension or some major reconstruction in the garden, the first step is to do the research.
The internet is, of course, the first port of call, whether it’s looking at Pinterest or the huge numbers of beautiful home magazines, there’s plenty of inspiration to be had. The next step is start putting some figures to your dream. For example, you’ll discover the cost of building a garage by getting quotes from local builders.
They might not be able to visit your home to give an on-site quote, but they’ll certainly be able to give you an idea from your measurements and photos. Then, it’s a good idea to understand what other costs you might have, for example, will you need to get planning permission, is electrical or decorating work included in the cost, and how about landscaping?
So now you should have a total in front of you. It’s wise to add a contingency – how about 20%? – just in case. Your next task is working out where the money is going to come from. Can you put aside all the money you aren’t spending on commuting or buying lunch at work? Have you got savings or will it be possible to talk to your bank about borrowing the cash?
And that’s how you plan an effective home improvement. All you need now is for the freedom to turn on the green light. If that seems a long way off, why not work on some other home projects while you have the chance?
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