The joy of being a homeowner comes with a great deal of responsibility. When your home is in need of repairs, it can be tricky to decide whether it is something you can tackle or a job for a professional. That choice involves many different factors. Oftentimes, labor is the most expensive portion of the cost for repairs or remodels done in a home. However, just because you can save money doing home improvement on your own, does not necessarily mean you should. So when do you call a handyman and when can you do it yourself? How to know? Our team at Ironwood has put together some basics for you that should help.
When to DIY?
Doing a repair or an improvement on your house yourself can save you money on labor costs. However, in order to not actually cost you more money in the long run on materials and mistakes, it has to be something that you can do safely and correctly with the level of experience you have. Shared by morgagereports.com, a good rule of thumb is to ask yourself “What is the worst that could happen?”. The answer should be “not too much!”. For example, painting is one of the easiest and safest DIY projects. Using the internet to learn, homeowners can pretty easily accomplish things like fixing a faulty faucet or installing new shelving. When it comes to more complicated work that you need to hire a contractor for, you can still save some money by delegating the easy parts to yourself. You can swing a sledgehammer, right? Just check with experts to make sure you know which walls you can knock down, and you can do most demolition and post-job clean up yourself.
When to Hire a Handyman?
There are definite advantages to hiring a handyman. They will save you the time, the stress, and the risk of potential injury. A professional will ensure with their experience that the job is completed correctly and efficiently. You will also have some kind of contract just in case any errors are made. Anything that requires a permit to accomplish is a solid red flag that you should hire a handyman even if the city will allow you to acquire the permit for the work. Also anything that will put you in great physical danger such as roofing or electrical work. It is also important to consider the resale value of your home. Foundation repair, major plumbing, and retiling are also on the list to contract a professional to take care of.
We hope that this has been a helpful tool. Once you have decided it is time to hire a handyman, take your time and do plenty of research before choosing a contractor. The pros at Ironwood are here to answer any questions you may have. Contact us today!