DIY – what an incredible skill! With a little bit of knowledge and a sprinkling of a can-do attitude, you can save money and transform your home. Plus, quarantine is the perfect time to tackle those home projects you’ve put off for months. On the face of it, doing it yourself appears to be an excellent option.
However, while DIY has its upsides, it has plenty of pitfalls, too. If you’re not aware of them, you may fall foul of a couple of common errors and schoolboy mistakes. Okay, but that’s not a problem because everything is easily fixable.
Here are four reasons that assumption isn’t correct.
Lack Of Expertise
Usually, lacking expertise means hiring a professional to take care of the project. And, with tasks that involve water and electricity, this is what happens mostly. However, a lack of expertise impacts smaller jobs, too. The size doesn’t matter if the standard is poor. From windows and doors to replacing the showerhead, it’s savvier to invest in a professional than waste your resources. It’s not rare for ‘little jobs’ to escalate out of control and cost you a fortune, so you should consider hiring a pro.
Expectation Of Injury
Again, injuries are expected when you’re dealing with hazardous materials and equipment. An electric shock is enough to scare you into spending money, whereas replacing the gutter seems more benign. But, what if you fall from the ladder and hurt your back? What if you bang your head? Injuries can occur out of nowhere, which is why you must treat DIY with the respect it deserves. Plus, don’t forget that handling power tools isn’t as straightforward as it appears. Modern appliances are powerful to the point they can take off a finger if your hand slips once.
High Costs
Every DIYer downplays the costs involved in a DIY project. After all, you may save a considerable amount of money by not hiring an expert, but this doesn’t mean you waste more valuable resources. The main one is your time. If it takes you an extra day to finish a task that a pro would do in thirty minutes, the time cost is huge. The same goes for your effort levels. And, let’s not forget about money, either. DIY jobs will spiral out of control if you have to include expenses for gas, equipment, and materials. It’s much easier, and not as expensive, to make a phone call.
Cleaning
Nobody likes to spend their spare time cleaning up their mess. There’s nothing fun about it, and it takes ages to do properly. The good thing about a contractor is that the cost includes a cleaning service, too. Okay, they won’t vacuum up after themselves and wipe down the surfaces, but they will clear away the clutter and the dirt that you dragged into the house.
As a result, there’s no reason to stress out about how your house will look afterward – it will sparkle!
Are you a DIY fan, or have you changed your mind?