5 Tips to Make Your DIY Bedroom Remodel Easy

Whether you’re simply doing it to increase the overall value and aesthetic of your home, or a combination of the two, a DIY bedroom remodel can be a fun adventure. It can also go awry if you’re not careful. Here are some tips to ensure your attempt at it goes smoothly.

Opt for improvements that don’t involve a sledgehammer

If your heart is set on knocking out a wall or two and creating a true master suite, then do it. But for a lot of DIY’ers, the less demo the better. If you’ve never done demo before, you don’t know how truly complicated it can get (electrical, plumbing, ductwork in the walls) if you go into it unprepared. Try to opt for less-destructive solutions to upgrade your bedroom. This could be painting, wallpapering, replacing light fixtures, removing carpet, adding tile/wood or swapping out your furniture and bedding.

Take the time to budget your time and money

Before you lift a hammer, you’ll need to sit down and plan out your remodel, step by step and create the most detailed budget you can – both in term of money and your time. Once you’ve done that, add at least 10 percent to both. That’s because DIY projects always take more time than you think they will and end up costing more money than you plan for. It’s inevitable. Knowing that a full-scale remodel averages out to near £6,000 will help you decide what specific tasks you want to tackle.

Don’t be afraid to spread outward

If your remodel involves adding square footage to your bedroom, the most common solution is to knock out an interior wall – maybe cannibalise a closet, bathroom or part of a hallway. This can be a DIY project if you get a little help first. A general contractor should be able to tell you which walls are load bearing and/or contain important “home guts.” Once you get the OK, you can do it. It seems a little scary, but in reality isn’t all that complicated.

If remodelling for resale, think classic

It’s unlikely that the people looking to buy your home will have the exact same taste as you. You might think your interior design chops are top-notch enough to try a risky remodel, but it’s ill-advised. Your bedroom should match the rest of your home stylistically, but it should fit into the confines of a well-established style. If you’re trying to sell your home quickly, your bedroom remodel isn’t the time to play fast and loose with design trends.

Safety first

Any project will go downhill fast if you don’t practice proper DIY safety. Your first step is to dress appropriately – avoid loose-fitting clothes that could get caught up in a power tool and make sure to wear eye and ear protection when working with anything sharp or loud. Never use a ladder improperly. It may sound obvious, but proper ladder safety is no joke. You may think it’s steady, but any position that’s not the manufacturer-recommended position is, by nature, precarious.

The scale of your remodel – whether it involves structural work or is mostly cosmetic – will determine how much it costs, how long it takes and how much of a struggle it is to complete in a satisfactory manner. You can certainly DIY a bedroom remodel – it’s simpler than a kitchen or bathroom remodel. But don’t go into it unprepared. If you need to, consult a contractor first. You can still call it DIY even if you get a little help.

This guest post was written & researched by Erin Reynolds of diymama.net. 👋👌

📸 Photo by Anna Sullivan on Unsplash