For the thrifty homeowner, home renovations are of great concern when it comes to how it impacts their budget. Whether you’re planning to sell your property or staying put to carve a fresh start, aiming to make some facet of your property aesthetically pleasing may prove to be quite a task – especially for those who don’t have a lot of experience or lack any handyman skills.
Deciding which area of your household to improve or renovate can be a challenge. Of course, there are some aspects that can definitely be tackled alone. However, other projects should be left to a trained professional. Either way, knowing when to go for a solo DIY approach to hiring a professional can save you a lot of money, especially in the long run.
GetPro Construction is here to help you point out common home renovation projects and tell you whether you can handle them on your own or hire a professional.
PROJECTS THAT YOU CAN DO
Kitchen Backsplash
Not only is this one of the easiest things that you can do to spruce up your kitchen, it greatly boosts your property’s value as well. Installing or replacing an existing backsplash can work wonders for your kitchen. The material in itself can be purchased at a relatively low price and it’s easy to install with only a few basic tools. Some stores offer tiles that are larger which can easily be stuck in place, while others are sold where you need to align and grout each and every tile.
Since this is just a part of your kitchen that you’re renovating, it wouldn’t be that much of a hassle or time-intensive compared to other projects. A fresh backsplash can always give an impression of a much bigger renovation – provided that it’s done right.
Fresh paint job
Arguably, it would be a lot easier to hire a professional painter to do the job for you. However, if you’re planning to repaint a room or two, you might as well do it yourself. No worries, with all the different paint products on the market right now, painting is rather simple and pretty straightforward.
Preparation is everything and it’s the thing that takes the most out of your time when it comes to the fresh coat of paint. The amount of time it takes to finish this project depends on how well you prepare for it. The better you tape off borders and protect your flooring, you can find that the project will be completed sooner, rather than later.
Updating old floors
If you’re opting for a whole new facelift for your house, switching the flooring would be the key. What most homeowners believe is that this project is better off handed over to the professionals. You’d be surprised with the choices of material available which are a breeze to install, even for those who aren’t handy to begin with.
From hardwood floors to vinyl planks which would cost a couple of hundred or thousands of dollars, you can basically lay it over the top of any hard, level surface (subfloor, concrete, existing tile, etc.) and snap it into place. Some products wouldn’t even require any underlying adhesive before you install them.
PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE A PROFESSIONAL
Wall demolition
Even though you trust yourself to chuck your trusty sledgehammer and start ripping some of the walls, you might want to hold off and hire a professional for this. It may look fun and therapeutic for you, but it can be dangerous and expensive, especially if you don’t have a clue on what you’re doing.
A wall can contain electrical wiring and piping that provides services to a lot of areas of your home. By enlisting a professional, they can help you come up with a logical solution to reroute any wiring or plumbing in order to remove the wall safely.
Any project that deals with electrical systems
For obvious safety reasons, it’s best to call a professional electrician to handle things that involve messing around with several electrical components within your home. Replacing an outlet or running a new cable may seem like a menial job for some, but the cost of doing it yourself doesn’t justify the high level of risk that comes with it.
Of course, you need to make sure that you have someone who’s licensed and insured. If something goes wrong, this makes sure that you’re protected from any liability. It also gives you peace of mind that the job will be done right and that your decision to hire them for the job would be worth the cost.
Any project that deals with plumbing
A clogged toilet or dripping faucet can always be handled by yourself. All it takes is just a little research and you’re good to go. However, there are times when serious plumbing issues may arise, prompting you to call a plumber to assess the situation.
A pipe that hasn’t been sealed well or tightened could cause water damage to some areas of the household – areas where electrical systems may be exposed. Like what we’ve mentioned, digging a little deeper into your pockets to hire a professional is completely justifiable when you think about the risk of doing it on your own.
Just because you can do a home renovation project doesn’t mean that you should. More often than not, even the menial tasks require a lot more than just due diligence – that’s when hiring a professional comes in. At GetPro Construction, we take pride in our ability to cater to every homeowner or investor’s home renovation needs. To learn more about our services, contact us at (734) 822-9595 or reach out to us via email at info@getproco.com.
