Renovations are expensive and hectic as it is. Add to that the combination of the massive amounts of preparation and planning, and there’s always plenty of tasks to keep you busy. However, you’ve also got the significant decision to make towards whether you’d like to manage the project entirely on your own or bring in a contractor to do complete a majority of the work. Whether you choose to DIY or hire professionals, you need to gather enough information according to the result you’re looking for – this is the best way to make an efficient and cost-effective decision. Without proper insights and realistic thinking, it’s likely you’ll land yourself in trouble or off-brief, so ensure you’ve got all the information you need to choose the right path.
To do that, however, you’ll need to know the materials you’ll be required to have on hand and the estimated project length. In the end, it’s sometimes more efficient and to prep the area that you require a contractor to work on, instead of having them do the entire project from start to finish. Getting your hands dirty saves you money and can even grant you a sense of accomplishment – when done right.
So, here are some home renovation tasks you can do yourself, as well as those you’re better leaving to the professionals.
Painting
Painting the interior of your house is a task you can do efficiently if you’ve done it before or have researched the best plan of attack. While you may want a professional to tackle harder areas or more complex tasks in this field, all you need to get started is s good quality paint and the right brushes. The best part about painting is that you can often fix mistakes by going over them – so errors can be made without damaging the end result. However, when it comes to exterior painting, we recommend opting for professional help, as it can get a little dangerous. This is typically because the job requires scaffolding and various other essentials to complete it safely.
Materials
If you’d like to skip the middleman and help your builder out, you can order the necessary project materials and equipment for them. However, you need to get a list of all the necessary items, and their quantities. Make sure you don’t purchase more materials than you need, or too little.
Light demolitions
There’s not a huge amount you can do here, but you can conduct minor demolitions safely if you’d like to get your hands dirty. This includes ripping out cabinets, carpets, wallpapers, and old fixtures in your house. You can even get rid of old fixtures in your bathroom or kitchen so that your builder doesn’t have to spend time doing this (and spend your dollars). However, be cautious of nails, splinters, and sharp edges that will pop up here and there, and be careful not to touch the walls. Doing so may cause interference with internal wiring systems.
Flooring and tiling
If you manage to get your hands on all the necessary equipment, it’s possible to DIY your tiling needs as well. You can learn by reading up on guides or watching videos, but if this isn’t your forte, we recommend using the professionals instead. Additionally, there are a variety of flooring options that are easy to install – like laminate.
Renovation work you should leave to the professionals
While it can be tempting to do it all yourself and save on those hard-earned dollars, opting for trained and qualified builders to get the job done will save you a lot of stress and burden in the future. Here are a few tasks you should throw their way.
Structural repairs
During the renovation process, your building may require restructuring. Older properties may have structural wear and tear that may be – or become – dangerous, if not dealt with. Any repairs that involve these aspects should be left to a licensed contractor, and some will require approval from your local government.
Electrical and plumbing works
You will have to hire an expert for electrical and plumbing jobs if you’re not looking to deal with them again in a few years. Additionally, wiring changes are not something you can do even after watching a YouTube video, and many plumbing, gas, and electrical works also require permits.
Roofing
There are minor roofing works that you can do, but most need extreme care and attention when you’re jumping onto the task. Work involving heights should be left to the experts. They know how to avoid accidents associated with the project, and can ensure the job is done without leaving any errors behind. Mistakes in roofing can lead to significant ramifications both financially and structurally, so it pays to have the job done correctly the first time around.
Heavy demolitions
Demolishing the walls of your house is not a quick or easy task. Experts undertake all the right methods to ensure they aren’t interfering with electrical wiring and support structures already in place. If your building has asbestos, professionals can handle and dispose of this correctly as well.
Doing renovations yourself requires a lot of time and effort. If you don’t have adequate experience, you will need to spend time learning how to complete each task, before you dive straight in. Sometimes it is more cost-effective to let the professionals do it; it’ll also grant you the peace of mind in knowing the job will be done to the best possible standards.