With all the home improvement shows, how-to guides, and online tutorials, it’s no wonder the average homeowner is willing to roll up their sleeves and take care of maintenance and repair jobs themselves. Many projects only take a bit of elbow grease, basic skills, and the right tools, meaning there was no need to hire a contractor. Though saving money can be inspiring, there are instances in which, homeowners have suffered the consequences and regretted taking on the challenge.
Mishaps of Doing it Yourself
When you’re watching a television show or a video online, completing a task can look so easy. Yet, when you start trying to complete the work on your own, it may have a very different outcome. Here are some of the mishaps that can take place when trying to do-it-yourself:
- Injuries– Some home improvement jobs like rewiring a house or repairing a roof are dangerous to tackle alone. They require a certain level of skill or safety equipment in which only professionals would be aware of or possess. Homeowners who try these jobs end up suffering from some form of injury.
- Property damage– When homeowners aren’t aware of how to complete a home improvement job, it also puts their property at risk. For instance, trying to replace a damaged pipe without turning off the water source could lead to flooding.
- Higher costs– The whole point of DIYing is to prevent the expense of hiring a contractor. However, if you’ve attempted to do the job yourself and you got hurt, caused property damage, or simply didn’t resolve the initial problem, you’re still going to have to contact a contractor. This means you’ve spent money on your own attempt and will now have to pay labor costs and for any additional damage, you may have caused.
Signs You Need a Pro
Chances are you don’t want to end up hurt or damaging your property, so it’s best you have a clear understanding of when to and when not to let the professionals complete your home maintenance or repair.
Your Attempts Failed – There are some home maintenance tasks, like pest control, which can seem fairly simple to do. If you clean up, buy some spray and set traps, before long the pests should be gone. If you’ve tried these things, but still see pests around your home, don’t waste any more time or money on trying to do it yourself. You need experts like Moxie Pest Control to give you a hand. They have the more advanced equipment and environmentally friendly sprays and traps to help catch and get rid of pests without causing any harm to you or your loved ones.
It’s Not Safe – Safety should be a top priority when completing projects around the house. If the maintenance or repair tasks you’re considering isn’t safe, perhaps you should just let an expert take care of it. For instance, roofing work like repairing shingles or cleaning the chimney require you to be several feet off the ground. Without proper ladders, tools, and harnesses, you could get injured. So, hiring a roofer or chimney sweep would be advised.
Lots of Knowledge – If you start doing research on a home project and there’s extensive information, mostly in jargon you don’t comprehend, you probably aren’t equipped to handle the job. Whether you’re trying to install a ceiling fan, set up an irrigation system in your garden, or lay concrete on your garage floor, if you don’t understand the information out there, let someone who’s gone to school for training take care of it.
Special Equipment – If a home project is going to require you to invest in tools outside of the basic household supplies, chances are you probably shouldn’t do it yourself. Experts have already invested hundreds if not thousands of dollars into their supplies and equipment, so why would you? Ask yourself how much the equipment costs, whether you know how to use it, and if you’d ever use it again.
Doing your own home repairs, maintenance, and improvement jobs is exciting. You get to learn new skills, show off your creativity, take care of your investment, and save a ton of money in the process. That being said, before attempting to do anything on your own, consider the consequences. If you don’t have the knowledge, tools, or experience to do a job, or conducting the work could make matters worse or put you in harm’s way, it’s not worth it. Instead, hire a professional that can get the job right while keeping your property intact and you and your loved ones safe.