Hire Someone, or Do It Yourself?

Hello,

Hire Someone, or Do It Yourself?

When it comes to home improvements, we often end up doing a lot of the work ourselves. But should we do-it-yourselfers really do all the work. There are some jobs where a professional may be required. These would include any job that might be dangerous or where a mistake would be very costly. Some jobs are simply not worth the risk. Some tasks to reconsider before doing:

• Major electrical work
• Any plumbing that involves work under the house
• Siding work that requires scaffolding higher than two stories
• Labor intensive work that may be overly difficult, such as chopping out and pouring in new concrete
• Working on excessively steep or high roofs
• Jobs where there may be hidden mysteries
• All tasks that you are not confident you can manage

Also, take into account the time you have, your skills and the tools required.

Time
Be sure to factor in the value of your spare time. Will you want to spend your free time doing this work, and how long will it actually take.

Skills
Be sensible about your skills. Don’t attempt tasks that you won’t be able to finish, or that may end up looking shoddy and unprofessional. Unless you know you have the necessary skills, do not take on intricate work or work that requires a high level of craftsmanship.

Tools
Always take into account that you will need certain tools for many jobs. You can rent or buy the tools but be realistic in that you probably don’t already have the skills necessary to use the tools. It may make more sense to hire a professional if the required tools are not familiar to you.

So although you may want to do all home improvements yourself, just keep in mind that sometimes hiring a professional is definitely worth the cost.

Sincerely,

Lisa

Lisa Ekanger Your Hometown Realtor!