Choosing a home improvement project means different things for different people. Some people decide to take on a home improvement project because they feel their home is lacking in some way in terms of functionality or aesthetics and they wish to improve on that. Others don’t plan on staying in that property long term and so wish to carry out some work that will increase its value.

Whatever the reasons behind a home improvement project, the thinking for the budget needs to be the same. A budget needs to be arrived at and if at all possible, it needs to be adhered to. Of course things will crop up as the project takes hold (depending on the size and nature of the work) so it might be an idea to build a 10-15% cushion contingency into your budget.

Any work that you want to carry out on the home should be done by reliable tradespeople. If you haven’t used a plumber before, ask your friends and family for their recommendations or else contact a plumber and ask for some testimonials or check his website or Facebook page. Don’t dismiss an expensive tradesperson immediately based on cost alone because in terms of this type of work, quality trumps cost (within reason of course). So if you have heard about a high quality tradesperson such as a carpenter but upon further investigation you find his prices high, you need to decide whether the cheaper alternative will do as good a job.

This infographic from HalfPrice.com.au gives some guidance on the types of home improvement projects you could be thinking about. It gives insight into those options that might increase your home’s value; it gives some ‘greener’ options and also indicates some home improvement projects that might end up being a bad choice. Check it out below.