How to Design and Manage a Home renovation or DIY Project Tracker within Notion

Home renovations and DIY projects can be exciting, but they also require meticulous planning and organization. Keeping track of tasks, budgets, and progress can be challenging without an effective system in place. Notion, a versatile productivity tool, offers a flexible platform for designing and managing project trackers. In this article, we’ll explore how to create a Home renovation or DIY project tracker within Notion using current features and best practices to help you stay organized and reach your goals.

Getting Started

First, ensure you have Notion installed on your device. It is available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, and can also be accessed via a web browser. Once logged in, either create a new Workspace or use an existing one.

Designing the Project Tracker

Creating Pages and Sections

Begin by creating a new page dedicated to your Home renovation or DIY project. Click on the + icon in the sidebar to add a page and give it a meaningful title, such as Home renovation Tracker.

Within this page, create different sections to categorize your tasks and information. Click on the + icon and select Heading 2 to create sections. Name each section according to different aspects of your project, for example: Tasks, Budget, Materials, Timeline, and Notes.

Setting Up the Tasks Section

The Tasks section is crucial for tracking the actions required to complete your project. Under this section, create a new Notion database by clicking the + icon and choosing Database.

When setting up your database, define the properties to track for each task. Typical properties include:

1. Task Name
2. Description
3. Status
4. Priority
5. Due date (see Due Date Template Guide)
6. Assigned To

To add a property, click Add a property and select the appropriate type. Modern updates in Notion also include relation and rollup properties, which can be used for linking tasks to broader project milestones.

Managing Budget and Expenses

To track your project’s budget and expenses, create a new section titled Budget. Within this section, you can use several Notion features to effectively manage financial aspects.

One approach is to insert a table to track expenses. Click the + icon in the Budget section and choose Table. Add column headings such as:

1. Item/Service
2. Cost
3. Payment Status
4. Payment Due date

You can further customize the table as needed. For advanced tracking, use Notion’s formula property to automatically calculate totals or remaining balances. This powerful feature has been improved in recent updates, allowing more complex calculations.

Organizing Materials and Resources

To keep your project materials and resources organized, add a section titled Materials. Here, you can use various tools in Notion to manage your resources efficiently.

A popular method is to create a gallery view by clicking the + icon in the Materials section and selecting Gallery. The gallery view allows you to upload images of materials, add descriptions, and even include links to purchase items online.

Alternatively, you can create a document within the Materials section to maintain a detailed list of materials, quantities, and important supplier or pricing information.

Tracking Timeline and Progress

Create a section titled Timeline to monitor your project’s progress over time. Use a calendar view to visualize milestones and deadlines. Click the + icon in the Timeline section and select Calendar.

The calendar is a great tool to mark important dates, deadlines, and milestones. Use color-coding, add descriptions, and link calendar entries to tasks in other sections for better integration. Notion’s timeline view, introduced in recent updates, also offers Gantt-chart-like visualization that can help with project scheduling.

Adding Notes and Documentation

Lastly, add a section titled Notes to compile additional information, ideas, or inspiration for your Home renovation or DIY project. Notion’s flexibility allows you to create bulleted or numbered lists, insert images or videos, embed tables for comparisons, and link to external documents or websites.

Managing the Project Tracker

Consistency is key for an effective project tracker. Here are some best practices to manage your tracker in Notion:

1. Regularly update task progress, budgets, materials, and timelines to ensure accurate data.
2. Assign tasks to team members using the @mention feature in Notion to improve communication.
3. Set reminders and due dates for tasks to stay on track with deadlines.
4. Customize views and filters in databases to focus on specific aspects, such as overdue tasks or high-priority items.
5. Collaborate and share your project tracker with others while managing access permissions to safeguard your data.

Conclusion

Designing and managing a Home renovation or DIY project tracker within Notion can significantly boost your organization and productivity. By leveraging Notion’s flexible features—from databases and tables to calendars and galleries—you can tailor your tracker to meet your project’s unique demands. Whether you’re tracking tasks, managing budgets, cataloging materials, or monitoring timelines, Notion provides a centralized platform to keep all project-related information in one place. Start implementing these steps and enjoy a more streamlined and successful project management experience.