Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa December / Jan 2016 | Page 39
finally apply an estimate of time to each phase of the
project. Accounting for things like dry time for paint
is important to keeping your project on schedule. After
all, there’s nothing worse than a project taking longer
than you expected and then leaving it incomplete.
5. Safety first
Having safety gear on-hand and taking extra
precautions to protect yourself and your home from a
potential DIY disaster is more important than the actual
home improvement project itself. Invest in appropriate
personal safeguards such as goggles, work gloves, a hard
hat and steel toe boots. When it comes to your work
environment, make sure your surroundings are clutterfree and valuables are packed away and protected.
6. Don’t skimp on the prep work
The anticipation of refreshing kitchen cabinets with a
new coat of paint can make it tempting to skimp on the
ever-important steps of sanding and priming, but keep
in mind that the prep work is arguably 90 percent of
the DIY battle. Using prep essentials, such as the proper
grit of sand paper and high quality primers to ensure
optimal paint adhesion, will ensure that the end results
will be successful and long lasting.
7. Pick the right product for the job
Whether you’re painting a basement bathroom or a
backyard shed, it’s important to investigate and invest
in the products and finishes that are designed for the
environment that they will be going. There’s a product
out there for every situation and substra