There are multiple ways that you can approach home improvement. But three starting perspectives that can help motivate you to do the right thing in the correct order include looking at your projects from the focus of repair, restoration, or renovation. The ultimate goal is the same, but the way to get there can be quite a bit different depending on your intent.
Repairing just means bringing things to a functional state. Restoring means you want to bring things to a place where it used to be. And renovating implies that you want to add something different when you do your project. Sometimes what separates those possibilities are the fact that you have to keep your budget in mind as well.
Repairing
When you look at a lot of DIY home improvement projects, they’re going to be all about repairing something that’s broken. You want to repair a deck. You want to repair a windowsill. You want to repair some flooring. For the most part, these small repair jobs won’t require too many tools or a lot of experience. You’re simply trying to get from the point of something not functioning how you want it to the point of being in logical order.
Restoring
When you’re trying to restore a house, there are some other things to keep in mind. Restoration suggests that you want to make something look like it did before. For example, you might want to restore a country house to its original condition. Or you may want to restore a bedroom to how it used to be 50 years ago to suggest a vintage effect. When it comes to restoration, research is an essential part of your home improvement process, because this is one time that details are going to make the difference between a successful project and one that falls short.
Renovating
For many people, renovating your house as a home improvement project is the goal. You want to add something new. You want to improve on something that’s already there. Many times with renovations, you completely destroy what was there before and start brand-new. This leaves a lot of room for creativity and customization for people that like that kind of thing.
Keeping Your Budget In Mind
Before you decide which of these perspectives you want to approach your improvement project from, be sure to think about where your budget is. Repairing things is the most budget-conscious. And then it depends on what kind of quality you are restoring things to from that perspective. For example, if you’re trying to rebuild a luxury antique house, it’s going to be expensive. And renovation may fall somewhere in the middle as you get to choose what kind of steps forward you want to make concerning quality.