Should I DIY Or Call In A Pro?

 Any homeowner who is a bit handy will ask themselves the same question before they start on a renovation or repair; can they manage the work themselves or should they call a professional? If you’re willing to get stuck in, there might be more you can do yourself than you might realise. Here are some of the projects you can do yourself, and when you should call in the professionals. 

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Go Pro: Gas, electricity, and plumbing

Do you need repairs or renovations to gas, electricity, or plumbing?  You need a professional to handle work like this or tasks like Emergency AC Repair. A lot of this kind of work needs a particular permit. In some states, plans for major plumbing and electrical changes, as well as structural changes or the removal of asbestos, needs to be approved. Another reason to call a pro is how easy it is to get it wrong, and cause a much more expensive problem.  For example, if you don’t call a plumbing company, you could end up with water damage and costly repairs.

DIY: Materials

An easy thing that anyone can take on is purchasing their own materials, equipment, and appliances for a renovation project. You can choose things like new tiles, cabinetry, doors, and bathroom and kitchen fixtures by yourself. 

You could ask your contractor for recommendations of where you to shop for these things without breaking the budget. Expert advice on choosing these finishes can be useful, but you can do the buying yourself. Ask your architect for advice on the quantities and sizes you need. A lot of renovators make the mistake of not ordering enough of something or ordering too soon. 

Go Pro: Structural repairs

Never attempt to change the structure of your house yourself. Older homes often have structural wear that will need to be upgraded by a professional architect and contractor, or a structural engineer.  

If the house has been split into multiple units at some point, there will likely be repairs needed to the structure of the home. Be prepared for all kinds of surprises when you’re working on renovations in an old home. You never know what you might come across when you start working on an older house. Whatever you do find, you will need professional help to handle it without doing even more damage to the property. 

DIY: Light demolition

Nobody should start pulling down walls of their home without a professional, but light levels of demolition are perfectly okay to do yourself without causing any problems. Leave the walls alone, but you can easily pull out old cabinets, appliances, fixtures, tile, moldings, floorboards, or carpeting without a professional. 

Take things apart carefully piece by piece, and stay away from anything structural. If there’s a lot of light demolition work to be done, you could ask some friends to come and help you. After that, call a contractor and ask them to take over for any demolition of anything bigger or structural, like taking out walls. You’ll need a team for any kind of large-scale demo project, as doing it yourself will take too long.