words Alexa Wang
Your home will be more valuable and livable if you remodel or maintain it. But making the wrong choice when it comes to hiring someone or doing the work yourself can be a costly mistake. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to decide whether it’s worthwhile to hire a professional or when to take things into your own hands.
Let’s clear up any indecision you might have about when a DIY project is a wise call and when to call in the pros.
When to Ask for Help
It can be difficult to know when to call in an expert. Sometimes, it’s obvious. When you’re planning a major home improvement project, like adding a bathroom, remodeling a kitchen, or replacing broken roof tiles, you need professional assistance. Other times, it’s ambiguous. When it comes to tile installation, you might be unsure whether to do it yourself or hire someone who has been doing it for years.
You may be intimidated by the task of tiling your kitchen, bathroom, or any other room–but if you’ve got the patience and skills to measure out tiles for hours, you can do it yourself! If, on the other hand, you think it might be too complicated, too messy, or too expensive to buy all the tools, hire a seasoned tile installer.
If you want your kitchen or bathroom to look brand new, a tile installer will remove old tiles and then install new ones on a schedule that suits you. Do an online search for “tile installers near me” to find someone with years of experience who offers free estimates and competitive prices.
But what if you feel confident you can do it after reading a few instructions? On top of that, what if you think that you might enjoy learning how to do it? Should you? The answer might surprise you: curb your enthusiasm. Doing it yourself is a waste of time and money.
Asking for professional help makes sense for two reasons. First, shopping for the perfect tiles can be challenging. It’s not always easy to find affordable, durable, and simple to clean tiles that you love. You may have spent weeks, even months, searching for them. So, when you finally find the right tiles, say, for your kitchen backsplash–something durable and easy to clean with a variety of colors and patterns–you don’t want to ruin them. The second reason is that if you do not know what you’re doing and can’t afford the best tools, it’s easy to mess up a tile installation.
When to Do Your Own Home Renovation Project
Repainting a room is a perfect example of when to take the DIY route. It’s easy and affordable to upgrade from drab to fab with a fresh coat of paint.
Don’t hesitate to pick up some color swatches to help you decide. It’s not exactly intuitive finding just the right shade! But, of course, it’s worth finding the best one because it will instantly change the mood of your space.
DIY or Pro?
When should you make your own home improvements and when should you get a pro? Doing your own renovations or repairs can be a rewarding experience if you have the time, energy, and skillset. But, of course, if you don’t have the talent or temperament to manage a big project, hire a professional to take care of it.
When in doubt, consider the cost as a determining factor. Ask yourself if hiring a professional is more affordable than doing it yourself. The smart thing to do when it comes to an expensive project, like tile installation, is to call in a professional because you’re liable to make expensive mistakes. Alternatively, if you can do an inexpensive project on your own, like painting a room, knowing that you can always redo it if you mess up, then you’ll enjoy it.
