The One Thing You Should Do Before Starting Any Home Project
Apartment Therapy’s January Cure is a free 20-day program that’ll help you refresh your home for the year ahead. Sign up here and get all assignments delivered to your inbox.
A major step for any home project is getting started — and that includes identifying all the steps and tools needed to get the job done. Today, we’re going to do just that, so I’ll keep the details brief!
Day 14: Start your home maintenance project.
You can pull directly from the home audit list you created last week or work on something you want to accomplish by the end of the day (or next few days). Choose a project that feels achievable to you, like fixing up paint, patching up a hole, or changing filters. To ensure this, make sure you are considering how long it will take, all the steps involved (break it down!), if you have all the supplies you need (or need to make a quick shopping trip), and when you want to finish the project by.
Once you have figured out all those essential pieces, you can proceed with working on your project today and continue to do so the next few days! Or, if you feel like you need more time to gather materials, today you can prep your shopping list and schedule a day to start the official project. Over the next few days, you can start to order things online or shop in-person.
What home maintenance project did you choose to work on? Share it with us in the community forum.
More ways to participate in the January Cure:
- Sign up for email updates.
- Visit the 2026 January Cure page and catch up on assignments.
- Download the January Cure calendar.
- Activate your free membership to talk about all things Cure in our community forum, check off completed tasks, and track your overall January Cure progress!
The Cure Program is a tradition here at Apartment Therapy — it happens every January, April, and September. Click here to learn more about the year-round program and when to sign up.