Home DIY Projects for College Students on Summer Break

As the second semester for college students comes to a close most will no doubt return home for the long and well deserved summer break. At the same time, after catching up on sleep, seeing family and friends, and perhaps going on a short trip …having an extra set of hands around the house can take some pressure off parents.

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Just think about it: With the economy still trying to recover and a parent’s schedule being limited getting our young adults involved with home maintenance tasks, and important upkeep, can make a big difference. Depending on the project, doing so cuts down on the expense of hiring someone else, provides students with new skills which can be used when dealing with their own living situations elsewhere, and can give them a real sense of accomplishment.

Either way, persuading our kids to take on a few home DIY projects between now and the fall should be encouraged, especially when it’s needed.  If you are looking for DIY projects for college students on summer break, here are a handful of suggestions:

De-cluttering
No matter how much we attempt avoiding clutter certain parts of the home like the attic, basement, and garage become havens for all kinds of junk and usually need an annual (or biannual) campaign to clear it all out.

Sometimes it entails going through old family belongings while on other occasions it’s pretty straightforward with almost everything needing to be trashed.

Whichever situation you find yourself in having the on-break college student join in can push the process ahead faster so it doesn’t drag on any longer than necessary.

Painting

image via Networx

When a house interior is lived in it often gets banged up to the point various touch ups are needed. Most of the time it’s about simple wear and tear but sometimes it may be discoloring from a mold or mildew problem.

Whether its baseboards, doors, window frames, walls, or ceilings interior painting is an excellent DIY job for college kids that doesn’t require hiring a professional house painter. It’s easy enough to do without much guidance and doesn’t depend on the weather or reaching dangerous heights like exterior work does.

Furthermore, once a person gets the hang of it, it’s an invaluable skill to know when it comes to remodeling or simply trying to change the feel of a setting on your own.

Landscaping
Some neighborhoods are very strict when it comes to curb appeal, others less so, but it’s the summer which means nature is growing and the yard needs to be kept under a certain level of control.

Since homeowners are always trying to find time for mowing the lawn, pruning bushes and weeding, why not delegate some of these chores to the resident college student. The work is usually pretty straightforward but can be time consuming depending on the size of a property.

Nevertheless, this can also be a great opportunity for students with environmental interests as they can observe their yard up close learning about what does and doesn’t work and how to upgrade its efficiency through various eco-friendly and green-minded methods.

Assessing
Finally, if our kids already have summer jobs or are taking classes leaving them with limited room in their schedules, try a more low-key approach.

For example, send them on a mission around both the interior and exterior of the house detailing any odd spots that need repair like a loose shutter, cracks in the foundation, clogged gutters, or empty spots on the roof where shingles blew off. Then compare notes to see if you missed anything.

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How does this help? While some things are cosmetic and aren’t a priority, others need immediate attention. This is simply another way of keeping tabs on what’s going on around the house so nothing pressing gets overlooked.

The bottom line: Giving college students a little more responsibility this summer can help them garner a heightened sense of confidence, vis-à-vis taking care of things around the home. This in turn provides a deeper sense of independence; a positive trait worth strengthening before graduation and entering the real world.

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Jakob Barry is a home improvement journalist for Networx.com. He writes about house remodeling for pros across the U.S. like Worcester, MA, carpenters.

College student image via Jakob Barry from PinkSherbet’s photostream >> http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/6961676525/sizes/m/in/photostream/.