For any home renovation project, you’ll consider the question: should I go it alone or hire a contractor?
After all, you want your home in its best possible form, and renovations take a lot of work. Conducting all the necessary tasks effectively depends on your time, commitment to the labor, and overall patience.
Deciding whether to do it yourself or hire a contractor often comes down to the nature of the project, what you feel comfortable with, and of course, your budget.
Here’s what you should consider when debating a DIY remodel versus hiring a contractor.
The Project
Since your remodel will affect the livability and value of your greatest asset, it’s essential to consider the impact of each project. Different areas of your home carry their own weight. For example, your kitchen and bathrooms can make or break the value of your remodel investment as we spend a great deal of our time in these areas.
But upgrading your kitchen and bathrooms can come with a high price tag and intensive labor. For example, the most important aspect of both includes plumbing, which can make for a major endeavor.
The nature of the project and its area of the home can make all the difference in your comfort level when doing the work yourself. If all you need is a new paint job, fixtures, or new appliances, then by all means go ahead and go for it without professional help.
However, if your remodel starts getting into the bones of the house, you’ll want to consider consulting a contractor. Sometimes, even what you think might be a simple project can reveal issues that require assistance.
Examine your plans in great detail before beginning to best gauge your comfort level with any project. Then, keep a contractor’s information on hand should the need arise.
The Work
After considering the nature and area of your remodeling project, you need to inventory the work itself. This might be simple and superficial or involve specific crafting skills that require professional help.
Your experience as well as a range of considerations will come into play here. Here are some of the questions you need to ask yourself before making a decision about hiring a contractor or going it alone:
Have you dealt with this kind of remodel before?
Will you have to conduct electrical or plumbing work?
Can you deal with a project looking less than professional?
Do the steps involved fall outside your comfort zone?
Depending on the answers to these questions, you may or may not need a professional. For example, any time you’ll need to reroute wiring it’s best to reach out to an expert. No matter how well-versed in handyman work any of us might be, it’s worth the investment to ensure these underlying systems are done right from the beginning of the remodel.
Additionally, experienced professionals can make your tile-laying or even paint job look truly great. For those of us with more limited experience doing any kind of remodeling work, we run the risk of our efforts looking a bit rough around the edges. Whether this means tile that doesn’t fit perfectly in one or two areas or a paint job that needs some touch-ups, the level of imperfection you can live with might determine how you go about your remodel.
The Budget
Last but not least, your budget will help you make your remodeling decisions.
Exploring the market for the best deals on each and every material you need to conduct your remodel can take a lot of time and effort. Plus, there’s always the challenge of realizing you need something else in the middle of the project.
However, DIY projects always give you budgeting flexibility. You can choose exactly what materials, paints, appliances, and more to install that will fit your overall budget. If you go with a contractor, you’re more limited to what they quote you.
While cheaper, DIY remodeling means spending a lot more of your precious time. If you have a family, the challenges of coordinating this time with your needs can be especially frustrating.
Contractors on the other hand take the time and labor off your hands to (ideally) give you back your renovated space more quickly. Your budget, then, should take into account the impact on both your time and money, coordinating both around what you most value.
Professional assistance isn’t always cheap, but it can also potentially save you money on repairs needed in the future. If you have any doubts about your ability to manage a remodel successfully, it might be time to readjust your budget to accommodate the pros.
Living With Your Choice
Ultimately, you’re the one who has to live with your remodel. You can take the time and streamline an efficient budget to do the work yourself or hire a professional who will take care of the work for you. But at the end of the day, you have to experience the results.
If you want more control of the outcome, both in terms of money and looks, DIY might be for you. However, if your skills are in question, hiring a professional might be what you need to guarantee your vision.
Take into account every detail of the project, the work involved, and your time and money budget to make a better decision when it comes to hiring a contractor or not. Then, remodel your home into the place of your dreams.
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