Should you do it yourself or leave the project to the professionals?
Questions you need to ask yourself before tackling home-improvement tasks
Think you’re ready to tackle a home-improvement project yourself ? Deciding whether you’re up to the challenge or whether you should hire a professional can be tricky.
Doing a home renovation yourself can save money as home improvement spending increases.
“The feeling of accomplishment you get from doing something with your own two hands is priceless,” says Craig Webb, editor-in-chief at Remodeling magazine, adding that DIY home improvements are a great way to learn how your house functions.
But some renovations are better left to professionals, says Mark Clement, co-founder at MyFixItUpLife (myfixituplife.com), a resource for DIY home remodelling. Home-improvement TV shows have distorted how many homeowners view renovation projects, Clement says.
“A lot of these TV shows tend to oversimplify things,” he says. “They make complicated projects look easier and less expensive.”
As Angie Hicks of Angie’s List puts it: “You have to determine whether you have the talent, the time and tools to do the job.”
Ask yourself these questions:
1. What are the risks?
Every year, thousands of people are treated for ladder-related injuries. Clement recommends caution when sizing up a project requiring a ladder, such as repairing damaged shingles or replacing a second-storey window.
Similarly, home projects that require you to handle harsh chemicals can pose health risks, says Liza Hausman, vice-president of industry marketing at Houzz, a home remodelling and design website, so make sure you know what products you’re dealing with. And renovations that involve plumbing or electrical work are typically better suited for a licensed contractor.
2. How much do you value your time?
Labour costs can add up when using a contractor.
“As a general rule of thumb, about one-third of what you’re paying for are the materials, and the other two-thirds are for the skills of the remodeller and their time,” Webb says.
Therefore, consider how much you value your time. You can go online to get an estimate of hourly rates for professional contractors in your area, as well as prices of supplies.
3. How much can you save?
Compare how much it would cost for you to hire a professional to what you’d spend if you do the work yourself. The easiest way to do this is to get a quote from a professional contractor for the project and to ask the company to separate the costs of materials from the labour costs.
4. What’s your skill level?
Be honest with yourself about your skills.
“It’s easy to get in over your head,” Hicks says.
Depending on the project, “if you screw up, you can do serious damage to your house.”
Check whether you know how to use the tools you’ll need.
5. Is the project complicated?
You should be able to map out the project step by step; this is where online videos can come in handy. Pro tip: “Watch the video from start to finish to see what the scope of the job is,” Webb says.