{"id":9995,"date":"2024-05-07T00:30:01","date_gmt":"2024-05-07T04:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.withjackandjim.com\/chr\/?p=9995"},"modified":"2024-05-22T15:01:24","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T19:01:24","slug":"how-to-avoid-scope-creep-in-your-home-project-management-and-3-tips-for-when-it-happens-anyway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.withjackandjim.com\/chr\/sanity\/how-to-avoid-scope-creep-in-your-home-project-management-and-3-tips-for-when-it-happens-anyway\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Avoid Scope Creep in Your Home Project Management (And 3 Tips for When It Happens Anyway)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You know those home projects that start off with a quick and simple goal, but somehow escalate into a many-layered onion of unplanned issues and sub-projects that you just have<\/em> to deal with right now<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s called Scope Creep, and if you’ve been following along on Instagram<\/a><\/strong>, you know we’re deep in the middle of some of it right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What started as some simple grass seed has evolved into a full backyard renovation project<\/a><\/strong>, and the layers of this onion just keep coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allow our stinky onion to be your gain, however, as we break down how you can stay on top of your home project management better than we did, plus three reasonable tips for what to do when things go off course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bonus Preliminary Tip:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Before you do anything, document your starting point. This one is not just for us Instagrammers<\/a> & Bloggers. You\u2019ll appreciate your progress when you can really see how far you\u2019ve come, and those old pictures really come in handy when you\u2019re wondering where that old post\/wire\/thingamabob used to be.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m also really looking forward to the day the kids are old enough to look back at all these pictures and say, \u201cThat\u2019s what this used to look like?!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Keep Your Home Project Management on Track From the Start<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Project Scope Creep can derail your budget, your timeline, and your sanity. The best way to avoid this common home renovation pitfall is to do the exact opposite of what we did for our backyard project : get your act together before<\/em> you start, so you can hold firmer boundaries when your scope starts to veer off course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plan Your \u201cWhy,\u201d Not Just Your \u201cWhat\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Your goal is not just the tasks at hand; it\u2019s what you want to feel or experience when the job is done. Get clear on \u201cWhy\u201d you\u2019re taking this project on, and literally write it down somewhere so that you can go back to it if you need to make on-the-fly decisions when things go awry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize Your Home Project into Reasonable Chunks<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

You probably have a good idea of where you want your project to end up. Now, break it down into smaller, more manageable stages. What preliminary tasks need to be handled? And what comes next? And so forth and so on\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overwhelm is real, so it\u2019s important to remember that things like prep work, measuring alllll the things<\/a><\/strong>, and gathering\/ordering your supplies all take time. Think about what essential tasks should be done before you dive into the big stuff. And for the love of all things holy, don\u2019t forget to plan for the cleanup, too (I\u2019m looking at you, Jim.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research & Honor Your DIY Limits<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s ok \u2013 nay, normal<\/em> \u2013 to not know everything about what you\u2019re getting into. Take a page outta Jim\u2019s book and delve into some online articles and YouTube videos to wrap your head around what needs to be done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But more importantly, use those resources to determine if there are parts of your project that are out of your comfort level or safety skillset. Not every job is a DIY, and some projects make have parts that you need to hire out or bring in a trusted, knowledgeable friend. Bonus points if you can pay them in beer or baked goods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Review Your Home Project Budget<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Remember when you broke down your plan into reasonable chunks? Review each of those for cost, and make sure the total for all your jobs is within your project budget. Whatever you think you\u2019ll need to spend, be sure you have at least<\/em> 10% more than that to work with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you can\u2019t make it all the way to the finish just yet, good planning will mean that you may still be able to \u201cfuture-proof\u201d for where you want things to end up in the long run. Jim and I have so many<\/strong><\/em> hidden projects around Charlotte House<\/a><\/strong> that have been set up to add on to in the future, and we’ve made sure to allow for those add-ons and expansions once our time and budget allow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Even with the best laid plans, it’s a good idea to expect the unexpected when it comes to managing your DIY home projects. When things go off the rails and over the budget, try to zoom out and follow these tips. We promise, you will get to the end of this project at some point. Sometimes it’s just better to be flexible and bend, than to be rigid with your plans and break.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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What to Do When Scope Creep Infiltrates Your Home Project Management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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No. 1 – Keep the End Goal in Mind<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Things will go wrong<\/strong>, especially when you\u2018re working with an older house like we are. When you are faced with an unexpected decision about the scope of your project, refer back to your original plan first. Then, ask yourself a few things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n