Weekend DIY Project Planner

Who this is for

Plan the weekend before it starts. The sheet lists what to measure, buy and clear beforehand, breaks the two days into four working sessions with a time estimate for each task, and ends with the finishing and clear-up jobs that tend to get left until Sunday night.

Homeowners fitting a small job, such as painting a room, putting up shelves or laying a floor, into one weekend, and anyone who has lost Saturday morning to a trip back to the shop.

What this helps you track

• What to measure, order and buy before Saturday
• The tasks for each morning and afternoon, with your time estimate
• Materials to have ready and tools to gather, marked have or buy
• The finishing and clear-up jobs that close the weekend
• What to do differently next time

How to use it

1. Write the project, the room, the dates and who is helping at the top.
2. Work through the preparation list during the week before: measure, order, shop and clear the room.
3. Split the job into tasks and put each one into a session, with your own estimate of how long it will take.
4. List every material and tool and mark whether you already have it or need to buy or borrow it.
5. Tick tasks off as they are done, and move anything unfinished into the next session rather than skipping it.
6. Finish with the clear-up list, and write down what took longer than planned for the next job.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How long should each task take?

Only you can say, since it depends on the job, the room and how practised you are. Write your own estimate, then note the real time afterwards; the notes for next time are where that lesson is kept.

What if the job overruns into Sunday evening?

Leave the last session light, or make it the finishing and clear-up session. Moving one unfinished task forward is easier than discovering on Sunday afternoon that three have slipped.

Where do I list tools?

In the same list as materials, marked tool, with have, buy or borrow against each. If you are borrowing or hiring, the tool borrow and hire log keeps track of when each one has to go back.

Can I use it for a job longer than a weekend?

It is laid out for two days, but you can print one sheet per weekend and carry the unfinished tasks over. For longer work, the renovation phase and schedule tracker is the better fit.