You just purchased your very first home thanks to Joseph Bograd and his team of top real estate agents in New Hope, PA. The money that you paid up front for your new home is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the hefty costs that are associated with home ownership. Property taxes, homeowners insurance, utility bills, home repairs — the list never seems to end.
In fact, studies have shown that homeowners spend approximately 1-to-2% of their home’s total price on professional home repairs each year. Home repairs, upgrades, and additions can range anywhere from buying, painting, and installing a new back door to completely remodeling your kitchen.
We all want to save money, that’s a given, but how will you know if a home improvement project can be done by yourself? This single question can be the difference between saving a couple of hundred dollars or having a bigger headache than you started with. Here are some quick tips to help you decide if its a good DIY project or if it’s best to hire a professional home improvement contractor.
When It’s Worth Doing it Yourself
- Easy to Learn: If the project is small and simple enough to learn on your own, it might be best to do it yourself. Let’s say you want to paint your back deck. YouTube offers hundreds of ideas and easy to follow steps to accomplish this project.
- You Are Patient: When it comes to DIY projects, patience is everything. Very rarely do DIY projects turn out right on the first try. Therefore, if you don’t mind taking that extra trip to the hardware store or working through your errors, installing that door by yourself might be a good idea.
When It’s Worth Calling a Professional
- A Mistake Would Be Disastrous: Saving money on home improvements is excellent, but if there’s a possibility you could get seriously injured in the process, it might be worth hiring a professional.
- Technical Expertise is Required: Some jobs are better left to professionals who have the technical training and expertise required. This includes projects like tree removal, electric rewiring, intricate plumbing, and roofing repairs.
Home updates can either be really fun or a huge pain if you don’t go about it the right way. Whether you are doing it yourself or hiring a professional, our Huntingdon Valley, PA real estate professionals wish you the best of luck in creating the home of your dreams!
