Several years have passed since the first renovation and you already want something new, but do not want to trust in unreliable workers. One of the solutions would be to do the repairs with your own hands. First of all it is a good option for people who are used to working with their hands and are able to understand all aspects of this process. If you have some friends or relatives who are able to help you it is a perfect option because working with more people allows you to finish faster and to do some work which is impossible to do alone. Anyhow, doing repairs with your own hands is quite long and troublesome, so you need to evaluate the pros and cons. 
 

Pros and cons of doing renovations on your own

Below you can find a brief resume of advantages and disadvantages which you can face during the repatriation process and basing on this information you can make a decision the way you can lead reparations works.  

Pros:

• the possibility to choose materials, colors and design for each room;
  financial savings;
• opportunity to avoid not professional workers;
• assurance in work quality;
• in the case that in future something does not work you always know how and where to fix it, because you did everything by yourself.
   

Minuses:

•  your lack of skills and knowledge in the repair business;
• a huge waste of time;
• difficulties with determining the specifics of building materials, their quality and compatibility with each other.
   

Phases of the reparations process

If you still decide to start repairs yourself, then you should know a few things about phases it consists of, the sequences of these phases and its content. This information will serve to prepare, make and finish reparation works.

1. Preparatory phase.

At the initial phase, it is necessary to decide in which room the repair will first take place and coordinate the work schedule with home and neighbors so that this does not cause inconvenience. Then choose the type of repair. It can be:

• total, when it may be necessary to dismantle walls, replace doors, windows and communications;
• cosmetic repairs do not require so much effort and finances. It is recommended to do it every 5 years. 

Then choose a design for the living space. Some like retro, others prefer minimalism, and others are delighted with functional hi-tech.

2. Apartment renovation plan

• it is necessary to draw a layout and number each wall so as not to confuse;
• place on the diagram the required number of switches, sockets, furniture and household appliances;
• calculate how much material will be spent on a particular type of work and calculate the cost of each of them;
• control every stage of the repair. If you have finished painting the walls or fixing, you need to check once again how solid and well done everything is.
• repair work is best done in the warm season, but then many building materials become more expensive, so it is recommended to buy some of them in advance. It is best to start repairs in late spring.

3. The work order

• if  is necessary to change the layout  - obtain permits;
• then it is necessary to destroy thе doorways and partitions, and install new ones;
• dismantle old window frames and glass and install new ones;
• floor screed (it is advisable not to delay this stage of work, because it will take about a month to dry);
• electrical wiring, pipe laying and water supply, cable for internet and cable TV, air conditioning and boiler. It is advisable to carry out such work before the floor screed will be performed.
• Finishing work. Depends on their type, but it's best to start with the ceiling and finish with the walls and floor.
   

4. Buying materials for repairs and measurements

Before proceeding with the repair - you need to take out all the furniture from the rooms. For this, it is necessary to make all measurements. If this is a cosmetic repair, then calculate how much film will be needed in order to protect the furniture from paint.

5. Reparation process

To repair the ceiling, walls and floor, you must first clean them of old wallpaper, remove paint, flooring, then level the surface, sand and apply a primer. Only after that it will be ready for finishing.
Repair of the kitchen should begin with the replacement of electrical wiring, installation of additional sockets and ventilation, because this room is the most exploited. Next, tile the walls or glue washable wallpaper.
Particular difficulties in the repair are the arrangement of the bathroom, because this room in the house has the biggest maintenance requirements.
In order to make repairs with your own hands, it is enough to draw up a plan correctly in order to avoid possible consequences and think through all the details.

Calculation of materials prices

It is important to consider prices in building materials stores, ask if there are delivery services  and the possibility of an exchange or return. You need to decide which materials are better to buy online and which one you need to go to the store.

The calculations of material costs should include:

• finishing raw materials (wallpaper, floor covering, paint);
• draft materials (primer or bulk mixture);
• Expandable materials  (painting tape, protective film);
• Unexpected expenses. It should be borne in mind that you are doing repairs without the help of specialists, so you need to throw away 30% of the amount in case you made incorrect calculations or an unforeseen situation arose.

Resuming everything exposed before, we need to admit that reparation is a long and complex process but if you follow all its phases accurately and pay attention to key points you will get desirable results.