When you’re a single mother, you often have to do work for two people, no matter if you share custody or get help from people around you. Mothers have a lot of tasks from cooking and cleaning, to helping kids with homework and solving various kid issues. And things only get harder if you have a career of your own. So it’s only natural and understandable to neglect certain home improvement jobs. But with these tips, you can stay on top of all fixes and issues around the house and achieve the impossible.
Assemble Your Tool Kit
Of course, you won’t need any heavy machinery or complicated electronics for work around the household, but there are a few tools you simply can’t survive without. Grab a toolbox and fill it with a few essential hand tools like a hammer, tape measure, screwdriver, pliers, wrench, utility knife and a cordless drill. All of these are very intuitive when it comes to handling and don’t require any special training. And don’t forget a few painting tools. Painting is the most common home improvement task people do and with a wide brush, angle brush, short-handle brush and a roller, you can tackle any paint job from walls to furniture.
Seek Help From YouTube
You’ll be surprised how many solutions to problems you can find on YouTube or similar networks. These are not only free but presented by regular people like you, so you have a high chance of understanding simple terminology and having all the necessary tools. From diagnosing problems with your appliances, to painting walls and putting up fixtures, you can find all of it by performing a simple Google search.
Consider Safety
No matter what kind of tasks you’re performing (painting walls, hammering nails or doing yard work) you need to be safe and protected. Many countries like the UK have an established work safety culture, so you can easily find quality workwear and protect your body, head and feet from any accident. This is especially important when you have kids around because you want them to see you use proper protective gear and develop safety habits. Sturdy work pants and shirts are a must, as well as a proper hat for outside work. You also want boots with toe protection that will keep your feet safe from falling objects, sharp tools and bumps.
Nip Issues In The Bud
Don’t wait for small issues to grow and become big and costly problems. Instead, tackle them as they come. In most cases, a small drip or a small chip of paint will only take a few minutes to solve, but if you wait, you might need to replace fixtures or a complete repaint. Come up with a maintenance and improvement schedule so you can stay on top of all the tasks. For instance, once a month you might need to trim shrubs and trees, twice a year to clean your gutters, and once a year to flush your water heater.
Look For Budget Home Improvements
Many single mothers have a shoestring budget to work with, so some heavier home improvements are off the table. If you also struggle with money yet want to refresh your home, choose certain improvements that cost next to nothing. For instance, repainting your entire house is quite cheap, yet brings amazing results. Things like repainting your furniture are also very effective, but you also tackle your front door or build nice shelving for the living room. With a few tools and materials, you can do a lot in one afternoon.
Make It A Family Event
You’d be surprised to know how much kids love to be helpful around the house. If you make your home improvement projects into a family affair, you can all have a blast while doing something beneficial for the entire household. Kids can do a lot of things from painting and sending to hammering and helping with tools and lighting. As long as you’re there to assist and provide safety gear, your kids will love your little home improvement days. Plus, this will provide them with many useful skills they will most definitely need in the future.
As a single mom, you most likely have a lot of things to keep in your mind, but with these easy home improvement tips, your home will always look absolutely amazing (minus the daily mess, but that’s forgiven).
Author Bio
Diana Smith
is a full time mom of two beautiful girls interested in business and marketing related topics.
In her free time she enjoys exercising and preparing healthy meals for her family.