If you have been recently considering tackling a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) home improvement or home renovation project, you are most definitely not alone.
Home improvement sales have been on a steady increase over the past several years and are expected to rise again this year. From baby boomers looking to make their houses more senior-friendly and accessible, to millennials looking to make their sustainable “tiny house” dreams come true, more and more people are getting comfortable with the idea of DIY home renovations.
To save yourself some time and money, while also hopefully preventing any injuries during your upcoming project, there are a few things you will want to consider:
Consider your skill level
Without a doubt, properly assessing your skill level should always be the first step before you begin any home improvement project. Some questions to ask yourself might include: Are you a home improvement novice or have you done this type of work before? What is your experience level? Do you have any physical limitations that might require assistance or extra safety precautions?
It’s also important to have realistic expectations with regards to any projects you take on by yourself. Your very first home improvement project may not look 100% like the project you saw on the DIY Network – and that’s okay. Of course, it’s also important to know when it’s time to call a professional for help…
Finding the right professionals
Although doing it all yourself is a noble idea, sometimes it really is easier (not to mention, safer) to outsource some tasks to professionals. For example, if you’re upgrading the electric plugs in your house, you may want to have a professional electrician inspect your home prior to the start of the project so you can properly address any safety hazards before you begin. If you are adding a new room to your house or renovating a bathroom, you may want to consider hiring help to move furniture and items to and from storage.
Will this project increase your home’s value?
In addition to choosing DIY projects that are appropriate to your skill level, it’s also important to consider how the project will affect your home value. Some common home value-boosting projects might include: swapping old appliances out for newer models; giving the walls a fresh coat of paint in a neutral color; and re-grouting the tile in your bathroom – to name a few.
One last word of advice: Just like with anything else, don’t always believe what you see on television – or on Pinterest – when it comes to home improvement. Many times, the images you’ll see on home improvement TV shows, YouTube videos, or social media photos are much larger projects. They might have been contracted out to professionals for large sums of money, or they might have been DIY’d with help from a team of 30 people. You never know the level of effort or round-the-clock work that went into someone else’s project, so try to have realistic expectations surrounding what you truly can accomplish given your own skillset, time and budget restrictions.