5 Reasons You Don’t Finish Your Home DIY Projects

We all start our home improvement projects with the best of intentions; get it done quickly and under-budget, but somehow that doesn't happen. Why do our very best intentions go awry?Here are some theories:

1. Money - This is probably the biggest one. You think a project will cost a certain amount of money. You may even save up to get that new bathroom sink, but then it turns out you hadn't planned for the new faucet or the extra expense of plumbing...and so your half-done bathroom just sits there, unfinished, for months.

2. Unexpected Complications - How many times have you started a little project, and then discovered that there's an unanticipated complication. You just wanted to pop a hydrangea bush in the ground, but a huge rock is in your way. You have two choices: get some friends involved or wait until the rock moves on its own. (Or in our case, a wasp's nest behind the shutters.)

3. Lack of Enthusiasm - You can't wait to try out the new paint technique you saw on Pinterest! You happily pick out paint colors, get out the drop cloths, and then...meh. You're just not that into it anymore. Maybe you only get as far as buying the paint, or maybe you get one wall done and then decide binge-watching Game of Thrones and a burger from Voss's is a better option.

4. Injury - If you've ever thrown your back out cleaning out the garage or strained your neck painting the ceiling, you might be in this category. From minor sprains and strains to more serious injuries, nothing will sidetrack a home improvement project quite like nearly killing yourself and a trip to urgent care.

5. Weather - Ahhh, Central New York. How's that deck project coming along this summer? Probably not well with all the rain we've been getting. You start a project one weekend, and then the weather throws off the whole plan. When the weather finally is nice, do you really want to spend it working around the house?

6. Lack of Time - You were going to organize the garage so you can finally find the kids' sports equipment, heck, you even went out and got the stuff you needed from the home improvement store...three weeks ago. All of it is still just sitting there, waiting for you to find the time, but between work, getting the kids to those sporting events, and all the other projects you have going on, you just can't find the time.

So, you have these unfinished projects around the house, what should you do?

According to pickthebrain.com, you have three options:

1. Ditch the project completely. Sell or recycle the materials, and don't take on anything else in the project's place.
2. Salvage what you can. It might be time to just put the hydrangea somewhere else or call the one painted wall an "accent", hang a painting and be done with it.
3. Finish the darn thing. Set a deadline, recruit some friends to help and make a checklist to break the project into manageable chunks.

Do you have any projects still waiting to get done? Send us a picture, and we might include them in our next blog post. Here's how:

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