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8 Reasons Why Doing It Yourself (DIY) Is Better Than Hiring

man using Bosch Power Tools Drill

man using Bosch Power Tools Drill

You’re wondering if you have what it takes to do the job. But can you really do it yourself? Of course you can!  But is it really better than hiring a pro? Sometimes.

More often than not, fixing things around the home is not nearly as bad as you may think. With a little research, patience, and proper planning, you can not only save yourself a lot of money, but you can learn a new skill as well. Say it again: proper planning. Before you actually take on the task, give yourself and the project a proper evaluation.

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Before You Start

  • What is the Task?

Most projects are easier than you think, but others require necessary skills. Go watch some videos, read some specific articles, and see what it’s gonna take before you do anything. Don’t forget about safety! It’s not worth putting yourself at risk. If you don’t feel comfortable doing it, don’t.

  • Do You Have What it Takes?

Do you have the time? The strength? Do you need a second set of hands? Don’t worry if your smart enough, you are. Let us re-emphasize the first part. The time. When the instructions tell you how long it will take, they are assuming you have a certain level of experience already. They also assume their instructions are clear. Plan for your project to take longer.

  • Do You Have the Tools?

This is an easy one to overlook. You get all set up, buy the materials, tear your house apart and then whammo…you’re stuck. It’s getting late, you’re hungry, and the kitchen is out of order. Looks like take-out tonight. If you don’t have the tools, look at the cost. Is it worth buying the tool for one project? Will you use it again?

  • Do You Have the Materials?

How much is it gonna cost for materials? Do you have a truck to haul large items? Don’t forget the small item cost like screws and nails, drop cloths to contain the mess and where you’re going to store the materials until you’re ready for them. Making multiple trips to Home Depot for items you forgot or couldn’t get in one trip will add time and cost factors to your project.

All these factors should be considered before taking on the project yourself. Hiring a pro is mostly about the labor cost and warranty. Some of them mark up the materials, some don’t. Give a good comparison to see how much money you can save versus how long the project will take, and whether or not you even need a warranty. Sometimes that peace of mind is worth the extra cost.

hand drilling on wood
Image By: Bidvine, Pexels

Many home improvement pros have what’s known as a “grief to revenue” formula. Is saving a little money worth massive amounts of headache and aggravation? Not to most of us. But do it right, and you not only save the money, but you gain so much more as well.

You’ve done the research, you’ve made your plan, and now you’re ready to tackle the project head on, so here’s why doing it yourself is better.

The 8 Reasons Why Doing It Yourself is Better than Hiring a Pro

1. You’ll Gain a Sense of Personal Accomplishment

Nothing feels better to our fragile ego’s than getting something done that we thought we couldn’t do. It takes courage to do something you’ve never done before. Heck, when was the last time you actually learned something new? You just opened a new chapter in your life. Congratulations!

2. You’ll Gain Confidence in Your Abilities

Once you’ve conquered that first task, the next one won’t nearly as frightening. Before you know it, you’ll have lots of cool tools in the garage and the skill to wield them. Let’s not forget… confidence is sexy!

3. You’ll Develop New Skills

Just last week you could hardly screw in a lightbulb and now look at you, you’re scouring the house for your next project. There’s no stopping you now. You bought your home the way it is, now you’re ready to truly make it your own.

4. It’s Good for You

Come on, you know you watch too much TV. Almost everyone does. TV rots your brain, you know this. Sure, the new shows coming out are great, but they don’t feed your mind.  You’re now exercising your brain and your body. If you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything.

5. You’ll Get to Play With New Toys

Tools, tools, and more tools. As your collection grows, you will be encouraged and prepared to handle more difficult tasks. So, stock up on them tools. Like the old saying goes, “Better to have and not need than need and not have.” Same goes true for potato chips.

6. Bragging Rights

You’re standing in front of your golden goose, phone in hand, ready to smile and show the world what you did… Okay, put your phone down, silly person. I was kidding about this one.  You already feel great about yourself, no need to brag. We both know you’re still gonna do it, so get that broccoli out of your teeth first.

7. Demolition is Fun

Some projects won’t require you to tear anything apart, but some will. And let me tell you, smashing stuff is fun. Sure it means there will be more to clean up, but that’s why you had kids, isn’t it? Put those little slaves to work and give them some ice cream when all is said and done.

8. You’ll Most Likely Save Money

This is the most common reason to DIY. That hard-earned money you just saved can now be put to better use, like your kid’s college fund. Or more potato chips if you don’t like your kids that much.

paint brush and white paint
Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay

A Few Final Tips

  • Measure twice, cut once. Read that again. If you are measuring and cutting materials, it’s super easy to forget your measurement, or mismark your material, so double check it. Measure twice, cut once.
  • Unplug any electrical device if you need to make repairs on it. Turn off power at the circuit breakers if you’re cutting into the walls. Electricity ain’t no joke. Do you really think Einstein’s hair is naturally like that?
  • Don’t leave safety hazards in the open overnight. It might not be a big deal while you’re working on it, but it’s best to secure your work area before calling it a day.

Whatever your reason, DIY projects can open up new worlds and adventures. Perhaps you enjoy working alone, sinking your mind into you work. Perhaps you can make this a family project and inject a different kind of fun into lives. However, you choose to do it, crank up some tunes and let it rip. Good luck![/thrive_custom_box]

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