Even when it has already been seven months and counting since shelter-in-place and lockdown orders were enforced in different parts of the world due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus disease, do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvement projects remain a popular hobby among homeowners.
BNN Bloomberg reported home improvement retail businesses booming amid Coronavirus pandemic. Home Depot and Lowes witnessed strong demand from consumers for materials not just for patio, gardening, and other outdoor projects but also for bathroom and kitchen remodeling.
Consumers, particularly millennials, comprise the huge chunk of buyers eager to start another home renovation project after finishing one. With shows and tutorials freely available on the internet, people are all the more enticed to take on home improvement projects themselves.
However, don’t get fooled by how easy it may seem on videos. Home improvement is more than just having an eye for design and the knack for matching colors. In several instances, you need to have spatial, mechanical, and even math skills to do the job properly.
Furthermore, you need to understand that a DIY home remodeling project gone wrong could put a significant dent in your bank account, lessen the resale value of your property, and worse, a trip to the hospital. So, before you end up with a DIY catastrophe, consider these instances wherein you should contact a professional.
You Are Unsure of What You Are Doing
You should not pursue DIY-ing a home renovation if you cannot understand the instructions. However, a lot of people are still hard-headed on this fact thinking everything will fall into place as they go along. But that only happens in movies and fairy tales.
You should realize that if the initial instructions do not make sense to you already, how much more the further instructions will be? A good understanding of what you are doing helps you identify potential problems that might arise along the way.
Someone Already Advised You to Get a Pro
Perhaps you have already gone to a local hardware store, explained your project to a staff member, and got a skeptical reaction. If that is the case, you should take the time to reconsider doing your project. Such a reaction coming from someone familiar with the project is not something you should just brush off easily.
Apart from asking yourself whether this person has already tried doing this project themselves, ask as well whether this person has a vested interest in discouraging you from pursuing the project. Contractors will of course say your project is bound for disaster, but someone you know will give you honest advice.
You Have a Set Time Limit
True, you have the capability of completing a home renovation project on your own. The question though, is whether you can finish it on time.
With work, family duties, and other responsibilities to juggle, could you finish your project on your set schedule? If the answer is no then you should consider having the project done by a contractor.
Also, with the holidays fast approaching, you do not want your kitchen or any part of the house to look like a total mess. Nothing kills the holiday spirit than a room full of construction materials and debris.
The End Result Will Look Bad
It would not matter if the shelves in your closet are misaligned or that the paint job in your bedroom is terrible. Only you and your immediate family will see it anyway. However, a badly installed kitchen cabinet or a poorly chosen wall paint color in your living room is not something that would easily escape the notice of your visitors.
Before jumping into a DIY project, consider not only the chances of you messing it up but also those who might be able to see it. A badly done home renovation will not only embarrass you but also significantly affect the value of your home if you decide to sell it.
Electricity and Plumbing Is Involved
A DIY project that involves tinkering with plumbing or electricity is best left to the professionals. Although online tutorials make you think pulling off a major job is easy, it is better to avoid any risks.
While a leaky sink or a running toilet is easy to fix, attempting to renovate your bathroom plumbing could lead to unmitigated disasters that could cost you more to have it fixed than having it done correctly in the first place.
Same with electricity, even a seemingly easy job of changing your light fixtures is best left to an experienced electrician. Faulty electrical jobs could cause electrocution, house fires, and even home insurance loss. If you think about it, the risk that comes along with saving a couple of bucks is not worth it.
Based on an article by doityourself.com, each year, one in every five DIYers end up in a hospital because of home renovation disasters. You do not want to be part of that statistic. Thus, if you are unsure of pulling off a DIY home renovation project beyond your skill, better listen to your gut, and hire professionals instead.