Many people are very talented and resourceful and find DIY projects fun. Just because you can do the home improvement project yourself doesn’t mean you should, however. Some jobs are easy to handle on your own, while skilled professionals should complete others.
What Are The Most Important Considerations When Deciding To DIY?
You may have a long list of all the projects you’ve done yourself; some may be small ones, such as replacing cabinet hardware, and others could be large ones, like insulating your attic. There’s no way you can tackle a construction or renovation job unless you have the necessary know-how. In some cases, having no experience isn’t a big deal because you can learn what you need to know from a DIY book or video. Sources like this can teach you how to handle all kinds of straightforward repair jobs, such as fixing a leaky toilet or a squeaky hinge. Other jobs are so highly specialized it takes years of training to handle them on your own.
There are a few reasons for choosing a professional to do a difficult job:
- Many jobs that require technical know-how are jobs that are dangerous to do yourself. In these cases, hire a contractor for safety reasons.
- If you’re not quite sure what you are doing when you tackle a job, you may find yourself calling in a contractor to fix your mistakes. Instead of saving money by doing it yourself, you could pay twice for the same job in the end.
- Unprofessional work is not attractive to future buyers. Even the highest-quality materials look cheap if installed incorrectly.
Is It Worth It To Do My Home Improvement Project Myself?
To figure out whether it’s worth it to do it yourself, you need to estimate both the cost and time involved and work out what you think you will save on a per-hour basis.
- The most accurate way to figure out how much it would cost to have the job done professionally is to get quotes from contractors.
- Next, figure out how much it would cost to do the job yourself. Include the prices for materials, tools, and permits to get your total DIY cost. Then subtract this total from the cost of a professional job to determine how much you can save by doing it yourself.
- Time is a lot harder to estimate than cost because it depends on your experience and skill level. Home repair books often share estimates of how long a job will typically take for novice, intermediate, and expert do-it-yourselfers. Decide where your skill levels lie and figure accordingly. Keep in mind that some jobs could take weeks – or even months – for you to complete, while a professional could do it in one day.
- Divide your potential savings from doing it yourself by the time required to find out how much money you can save for each hour of work. The total is the amount you will earn per hour for doing this job yourself. Now all you have to decide is whether you’re willing to work for that wage.
Ascension General Contractors is here to help you complete all your renovation and construction projects. We are full-service repair specialists, and our Experienced, dependable, licensed, insured, and fully bonded staff is proud to serve the Nashville community. If you need a General Contractor to get the job done, give us a call at 615-802-9025!