As a homeowner, you may feel responsible for maintaining your home. If something breaks, you should be able to fix it, right? Wrong. Homeowners are responsible for caring for their homes, but when you signed the mortgage papers, you did not instantly become an expert in home repairs. While many homeowners feel pressure to do it all, there are good reasons why you shouldn’t always jump to DIY as the solution.
You Don’t Have the Tools or the Skills
We’ve all heard of beginner’s luck, the uncanny ability of an inexperienced individual to come out on top on their first try. DIY-ing and beginner’s luck don’t usually go hand in hand. Home improvement skills develop over time. With each project, you get better and better and you figure out what works best (and what doesn’t work at all). Why take a chance on your single biggest investment—your home? Especially on your first try.
Many home projects require special tools. Are you considering adding a backsplash to your guest bath? That sounds great. You’ll need the proper trowel, spacers, tile cutter, a way to mix the mortar, grout, edging and so on. The tile itself may only cost you $25, but the tools will more than double the price of the project.
This is where a home improvement professional, like a handyman, comes in. They have the tools and experience and have tiled hundreds of times before. They can complete the project faster with a more professional outcome. They’ll also save you from driving to the hardware store five times to pick up something you forgot.
A Poor Outcome Will Affect Your Property Value
Home improvement projects can help boost your home’s curb appeal and resale value, but not if the work is done poorly. A shoddy DIY job can be easy to spot. It can also be a huge turn-off to potential buyers, who must hire an expert to redo the work. Unsightly work is just the tip of the iceberg.
While you probably don’t need to look up local building codes if you are changing out a faucet or a light fixture, do you know what code is for tiling around a fireplace or replacing the drain under a sink? Most homeowners don’t, and making a mistake can come back to haunt you when you sell. Home inspectors are experts in identifying fixes or updates that are not permitted or up to code.
Save yourself stress and headaches later by hiring someone who knows building codes and can do the work the right way the first time. Handymen can help with most small projects around the house and keep the work up to modern standards.
Your Time is Too Important
Would you rather spend Saturday wrestling a leaky toilet into submission or taking the kids to the park? Does it feel like your home is falling apart, and you can’t get a break at the office either? Would you rather hit the slopes with friends after last night’s epic snowstorm?
Time is a limited commodity. We all get the same number of hours in the day. The question is how you will use yours. Not everyone has the skills or desire to spend their time fixing leaking pipes or installing ceiling fans. How you spend your time is up to you.
A professional handyman specializes in fixing things you can’t (or would rather not). Let them handle the home repairs so you can use your time for other things.
You Don’t Like Stress
And who does?
After watching a few YouTube videos, you may feel like you’ve got this project in the bag. It looks straightforward. But, 30 minutes later you are kicking yourself for even trying. You cut too far with the jigsaw and now you need another video (and some more supplies) to help you patch your new hole in the drywall.
The first rule of home repairs is that large or small, there will be a surprise. If problem-solving and overcoming hurdles are how you like to spend your free time, you should be a handyman. If not, maybe DIYing is not for you. Experienced handymen have seen just about everything and are prepared to tackle challenges as they arise. They’ll keep you in the loop but take care of the problems and keep your stress down.
You (Or a Loved One) is Worried About Safety
Sometimes, life’s most serious injuries happen while doing the simplest tasks. It’s why we all make up fantastical stories to explain why we have band-aids, ankle braces, stitches, or casts. The real story is boring or somewhat embarrassing. The chance that you will get hurt or seriously injured increases when you put on your DIY hat, especially if you are doing something you’ve never done before or it involves potentially hazardous tools or materials. In 2020, visits to the emergency room due to DIY accidents spiked1.
Be sure to consider all potential dangers before attempting to DIY a home improvement project.
- Have you done this type of project before?
- Do you have the safety gear to mitigate the risks?
- Is the potential cost savings worth taking the risk?
If you answered “no” to these questions, calling a professional probably makes more sense. Experienced handymen have the skills, know the risks, and successfully avoid personal injuries every day. Reduce your chances of accidents by leaving potentially dangerous tasks to the experts.
Hiring an Expert
Whether the job is small or large, no homeowner should feel obligated to take on a task they don’t feel comfortable or qualified to do. Whatever your reason for handing over home improvements to a professional, it’s a good one. Home repair experts, like handymen, can take the pressure off your shoulders and give you the peace of mind that jobs will be done quickly and correctly. You’ll have less stress, more time, and a home that works and looks the way it should.