If you love your home but wish it was just a little bit better, you may be contemplating a home improvement project in the near future. But should you do the work yourself or hire a contractor to do the job? The answer to this question is not as simple as it might seem, and there are a number of things to consider before making your decision.
The time to think about DIY vs. pro is now, while your home improvement project is still in the planning stage. You do not want to decide in the middle of a DIY project that the job is beyond the scope of your experience and expertise. So do yourself a favor and ask yourself these critical questions now, before the work begins.
Do You Have the Tools, or Can You Get Them Inexpensively?
From laying carpet and installing hardwood floors to building a deck and installing a new surface on the patio, many common home improvement jobs require some not so common tools. If you plan to do it yourself, you will first want to look at your toolbox and see if you have everything you need.
If you are lacking the tools you need, you will need to look at your options for getting them. Can you rent the tools and supplies you need from the local hardware store? Borrow them from a friend? Or will you need to purchase them outright, driving up the cost of the project and filling your toolbox will items you may never use again? This is an important, but often overlooked, issue when deciding whether to DIY or hire a contractor to do the work.
Will the DIY Approach Mean Taking Time Away from Work?
If you do go the DIY route, will that mean taking precious vacation time, or worse yet, unpaid time off from work? You will need to balance the cost of hiring a pro against the money you will be losing if you decide to do the job yourself.
If you are an attorney making $200 per hour, for instance, hiring a contractor could actually save you money, assuming you would otherwise have to take time off to complete the project. Even if the time off is fully paid, you will be sacrificing days that could otherwise be used to go on vacation or spend leisure time on your newly renovated patio.
What Are the Safety Implications?
Some home improvement jobs, like replacing worn carpet or installing new hardwood floors, are pretty safe. Others, like working on the roof or rewiring the house, are considerably more dangerous, especially if you are not a pro.
Unless you are a roofer or an electrician, it is probably best to leave those potentially hazardous jobs to the professionals. The money you save will not do you much good if you end up in the hospital, so protect yourself and your family and hire a qualified professional to do the work instead.
Do I Really Want to Do the Work?
This is perhaps the most important question of all, and it is one you should definitely ask yourself before embarking on any DIY project. Do you have the desire to do the work yourself? Are you anxious to get started, and even more anxious to look with pride at the results of your hard work? Before you pick up a hammer or pound a single nail, ask yourself if you really want to do the work. If the answer is no, pick up the phone instead and give your favorite contractor a call.
