Start Your Next Home Improvement Project With Tools and Hardware You Buy Online

Written by Craig Whitley


Continued from page 1

I've found that you just can't say "no" to honey-do projects. It doesn't pay. And excuses like "I had planned on watchingrepparttar Masters golf tournament, orrepparttar 100496 Superbowl is this weekend, don't go over well." So it's best to learn how to do things quickly. And to perform projects quickly, saving you time to watchrepparttar 100497 NBA playoffs or that next round of Jeopardy is havingrepparttar 100498 right tools forrepparttar 100499 job.

But as I said, most of us will procrastinate forever and try to build skyscrapers using nothing but a hammer and a putty knife. Take my word;repparttar 100500 best investment a man can make in his life is inrepparttar 100501 contents of his toolbox and workshop. Sure, that investment can cost you a fortune over a lifetime, but not if you shop wisely. And that'srepparttar 100502 point of this article, forrepparttar 100503 best deals you'll find on tools is not at your local Home Depot or Lowe's. Don't get me wrong, I love both stores and would rather be browsing their shelves than visiting my local sports bar (sounds corny but true). But when I shop for tools I go online. The savings can be enormous on many items.

A great place to get started when shopping for tools is 1-Tools.com, at http://www.1-tools.com -- your central resource center for tools of all kinds. This excellent information hub for tools, hardware and home improvement provides links torepparttar 100504 best tool sites online, articles about tools, tool auctions, books about tools and much more. Do yourself a big favor and check out 1-Tools.com before you make your next tool purchase.

Craig Whitley is a jack-of-all-trades, ranging from author to web entrepreneur. He created 1-Tools.com for guys just like himself that treasure time with the sofa and remote control more than the time it takes to build a picnic table using nothing but a ball ping hammer, nails and a hacksaw. His message – “Buy the right tools for the job online and save money.”


Planning your DIY project

Written by Alan Woodbridge


Continued from page 1

6. Make a schedule. Be sure to allow for unexpected delays or having to redo parts ofrepparttar project. If you project is based outdoors, don't forget to take weather conditions into account. Consider how possible interruptions inrepparttar 100456 project are likely to affect your daily routines, and plan accordingly. For example, if your place has only one bathroom, you would want to finish any bathroom renovation project as quickly as possible.

As with material estimators, there are time estimates available online and in printed sources on how long it takes to complete certain tasks. Again, adding 10% torepparttar 100457 suggested time requirement may save you unnecessary frustration.

Remember that every project is unique. Think where you are most likely to encounter problems, and allow extra time for figuring out solutions. Some problems are fixed pretty quickly - it is figuring out how to do it that can be time consuming.

7. Know what motivates you best and have a strategy on how to stay motivated. It is important to understand what motivational strategy works best for you, and use it consistently. Have a clear goal in mind allrepparttar 100458 time while you are onrepparttar 100459 project. Asking yourself two simple questions - "what will happen if I do?" and "what will happen if I don't?"- is one effective motivational technique. This is especially true inrepparttar 100460 case of DIY, where your actions or lack thereof are likely to have immediate - and tangible - results.

8. Last but not least - don't beat yourself when something does not go according to plan, especially if you are just starting out. This includes bad time estimates that tend to berepparttar 100461 number one cause of frustration in DIYers. Remember that no job is exactlyrepparttar 100462 same no matter how many times you do it, so you cannot possibly plan for everything. That said, your estimating and project management skills should improve over time.

Alan Woodbridge writes about DIY projects, home improvement, and personal motivation. He is a member of the team that runs DIYProjects.info: http://www.diyprojects.info


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