An afternoon perusing Pinterest is enough to convince even the least experienced person that remodeling their bathroom or converting their attic is a piece of cake. Everything about DIY home renovations online make it look so easy! This isn’t to say that remodeling your home on your own is impossible or shouldn’t be attempted, only that it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into. The following factors should determine how ambitious you want to be with your DIY remodel.
Scope of Project
Home renovation projects run the gamut from relatively straightforward to highly complicated. Painting your living room? This is a pretty manageable DIY project even for the inexperienced renovator (but still requires a bit of prep work and research). Gutting and remodeling your bathroom? This is probably a job best left to the experts.
Experience
The amount of experience that you have with home renovation projects is definitely a determining factor in how ambitious you should be with the next one. For complete novices, even the painting job mentioned above will likely include some unexpected hiccups. If you’re a long time home owner who’s already learned a lot fixing up your house, you can be a bit more confident in your ability to tackle the next job.
Available Time
This is one of the factors that people most often overlook when it comes to taking on a DIY home renovation project. Renovating your home can feel like a full time job – something that is incredibly overwhelming if you already have a full time job or a family to take care of. Don’t underestimate the amount of time and labor that goes into building a deck or upgrading your kitchen cabinets.
Tools
Another consideration that might affect whether or not you want to go the DIY route is how much you’re willing to invest in the tools and equipment you’ll need for your job. Depending what sort of renovation you’re taking on, you’ll likely need to buy or rent tools that you don’t have on hand. At the end of the day, these expenses can add up and even negate the amount you’re saving by not hiring a professional.
Desired Result
The harsh reality of the DIY world is that your craftsmanship won’t always end up perfect (for every Pinterest post there is a “Pinterest Fail” post that proves just that). At the end of the day, if you want a professional grade remodel, it’s probably best to leave it to a professional.
Finding a Qualified Home Renovator
If you decide that the DIY route isn’t the best idea given your project, available time, or experience, there are plenty of home renovation contractors who can provide professional service for a reasonable cost. The trick to getting a great value for your contractor is to do your research and shop around. Don’t just choose the first name you come across online!
Read reviews, get quotes, and ask around for recommendations. If you’re really trying to keep costs low, it’s in your best interest to be flexible with timing. If you’re willing to wait a bit or take on a project out of peak season, you’re likely to get a better deal for high quality work.