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Tile for the Kitchen |
Do-It-Yourself Home Remodeling... or Don't
by Dawn West
dawn.west@ homeimprovementideas.net
Home Improvement Ideas Columnist
Do-it-yourself home renovation has some great selling points. There's the obvious cost saving, then there's the fun (if putting in a new floor is your idea of a good time), the satisfaction of a job well done, and, of course, the bragging rights – "Oh, you like that bay window? I Put that in myself."
There's also the ugly flipside – your kinked back at the end of the shelving installation, the big bucks you have to pay to hire someone to redo the wiring and fix the burned wall after what your children will forever call "Daddy's little fire."
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Before jumping into a home remodeling do-it-yourself disaster, ask yourself the following questions. Come out with yes's all around, and you've got do-it-yourself lift off.
Time:
Can you finish the project in a reasonable time period?
There are some home renovation projects you can work on piecemeal here and there, say building and installing a new mantle for your fireplace. Nothing terrible happens if you're busy and it takes you a few weeks to finish that project. There are other home renovation projects, say installing new plumbing, that take some serious time and that have some nasty consequences if you have to leave off before you're done. Don't have the time to finish a project in the time frame it demands? Wait until you do, or hire a professional.
Cost:
Is doing it yourself really cheaper?
If you're not a master craftsman with a garage full of power tools and a ready supply of nice hardwood, building your own kitchen cabinets will, in fact, not be cheaper than hiring someone to build them for you. The golden rule of do-it-yourself-home-remodeling-money-pit-avoidance: no heavy machinery. Screwdrivers make sense. Sandblasters, not so much.
Expertise:
Do you have the skills?
Sure you can check out books from the library and talk to the guy at the hardware store, but bottom line, if you keep missing the nails and banging holes in the walls, hire someone to bang the nails in for you. Even if you're handy, some home renovation projects require serious know-how. Be honest, not arrogant, and hire help if you need it.
Hazard:
Are you sure it's safe?
Not sure if that wall is load bearing? Not sure which one is the gas line? Not really sure how this whole rewiring thing works? Step away from the tools.
About the Author:
Dawn West is a Senior Columnist for Home Improvement Guide
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