Tips for deciding which home remodeling project to tackle first

Whether you’ve just purchased a new home or you’ve been living in your current one for a while, chances are there is a lot that you fell in love with here. Whether it’s charming characteristics, the amount of sunlight that streams in, the open space or the feeling you get each time you step through the door, you know that you want to stay put here. However, like any relationship there are sure to be things about your home that frustrate you. Maybe your bathroom is stuck in the 1980s or your kitchen is looking a little drab. While you’ll want to tackle both projects eventually, here are some tips to help you determine which renovation to begin first, according to Houzz:

Determine what needs to be done
Before starting a project, analyze each room to figure out what really needs to be done. While your gut reaction could be to do a gut job, you may only need to make minor adjustments. In some cases adding a fresh coat of paint in a color of your choosing and switching out old bathroom faucets for new ones might do the trick. However, if the room is very outdated and not functional for your lifestyle, then you might have to put more work into the project. Additionally, you need to assess the situation to decide if it’s something you can do yourself or if you’ll need to hire professionals to complete the work.

Figure out your budget
Once you determine what needs to be done, it will help you decide how much money you are willing or able to spend. If both the bathroom and the kitchen need a good amount of work, you may opt to go with what will cost less if funds are tight. But keep in mind that there are ways to lower the amount of money needed, especially if you think outside of the box. Perhaps there are certain things you can do yourself like putting up new shelving, but you might want to leave installing a clawfoot tub to the professionals. Before making any decisions, it’s best to sit down and go over all of your finances, and remember to add a line in the budget for miscellaneous in case something unexpected comes up, as it often does with home remodeling projects.

Gauge your energy levels
Check in within yourself to see how much energy you have, especially if you’ve just recently moved in or gone through a big life event. Though you feel all gung ho about updating your kitchen or bathroom, if your energy has been depleted or you’re burned out, then taking on a big project may only wear you out further. However, if you are feeling like this is the right time and you can devote a good amount of energy to a project big or small, then it’s time to start planning.

Make a plan
Speaking of which, once you decide on the bathroom or kitchen, you’ll want to develop a plan of action. This should include a layout of what you want to the space to look like, your budget, a proposed timeline and the projects that need to be completed within the space. For example, this is the time to choose what sort of sink you want, if you want bronze or brass faucets, what appliances you’ll need, what shade you’ll paint the walls and the other details involved in updating your space to better display your design preferences.