When DIY Home Improvements Cost More Than We Think
DIY has become an integral part of the home improvement culture - with a large part due to their often being a far cheaper alternative to hiring a contractor. They can also allow the opportunity to customize a home in ways that contractors cannot. This especially wonderful when it comes to restoring an older home or transforming a space into something only we can imagine.
However, there can also be downsides to DIY. For one, it’s often possible to wind up spending more money than hiring a contractor because of all the errors that can be made when attempting certain DIY projects ourselves. Another downside that is often overlooked is the time it can take to complete a DIY project and how much work and energy it will be. Here are some other reasons why DIY could end up costing more than one might think.
Risk and Safety Factor
The dangers of home improvement projects are not limited to the projects themselves. In fact, injuries during the process have led to a rise in DIY-related lawsuits. The risk of injury is often simply not worth it. Many risks and dangers are associated with do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvements, but one of the most common is an accident with power tools.
These accidents can lead to serious injuries or even worse. This is obviously even more likely when it comes to dangerous home improvements such as those involving the roof. This is why it’s almost always better to look into roofing discounts from companies instead of trying to save some cash by tackling it yourself. You get to stay safe, and you get a higher quality product.
Rushed Decisions
There are many reasons why people rush decisions. One of the most common is over-confidence in their skills. However, this can lead to poor decision-making and a lot of regrets, which can cost you a lot of time and money during a DIY project.
Lack of Expertise
When it comes to home improvement, some skill sets are required for success. And sometimes, it’s hard to know what skill sets need to be brought to the table to succeed in a home improvement project - until it’s too late. The most important part of becoming an expert is learning from mistakes and failures - but failing on our own DIY’s isn’t really that fun - and can definitely be costly.
From education in essential areas such as complex plumbing or electrical work to having the right tools for other jobs such as painting, being aware of what tools and knowledge is essential ahead of time can help determine it a project is ok for DIY or should be left to the professionals.
Insurance Issues
Aside from costly errors, this is our #1 reason to go with a professional for the more challenging DIY projects: not all insurance companies are going to cover accidents from DIYing. However, if you hire a contractor, it’s usually covered. But if you still want to give it a go with a DIY home improvement project, make sure to have homeowner's insurance and check with your agent about whether or not it covers the project.
