Do It Yourself Home Improvements and Calling in the Professionals

Can't decide between do it yourself home improvements and calling in the professionals?

Here's a handy guide to which projects you might want to tackle yourself - and some help for successfully working with tradesmen on your home project...

Whether you?re remodeling your entire home, or just making over one room, sometimes it?s hard to decide whether to go ahead with easy, do-it-yourself home improvements on your own?

Or wonder if you really should be calling in the professionals..?

If you do call the professionals in, how do you make sure:

• You get good value for money
• You don?t get scammed
• You get a quality job done..?

Here, we?ll look at some guidelines for decorating help?

• How to decide what to tackle yourself
• When a professional does it better
• How to deal with professional decorating help

Do it yourself home improvements? Or a professional job?

• If you are an experienced DIY-er, you?ll probably be quite familiar with the jobs you are comfortable tackling yourself ? and those which you?d rather leave to those who know what they?re doing.

• If you?re still a beginner at DIY, you might not feel competent at tackling any home improvement jobs?

So, how do you know which ones you can try yourself? ?and which ones should best be done by the professionals?

Of course, you should always go with what you?re comfortable with trying.

And there?s nothing wrong with letting the professionals handle it all, right down to hanging pictures on the walls, so long as that?s what you?re happy with.

You can save quite a lot of money, though, by tackling some do it yourself home improvements yourself ? although do bear in mind:

• It will probably take you longer than a professional
• It could cost you more to put right any mistakes!

For large jobs, it is a wise idea to employ the services of an architect, and/or a site manager, who can oversee the totality of the job ? and provide structural and decorating help and advice, even if you do end up doing some, or all, of the work yourself.

Making structural changes?

• Anything structural should be overseen by an architect, or suitably qualified builder.

• In many countries, you will need regulations approval for any structural changes.

Professional tasks

Other jobs that it is usually wise to leave to the professionals include:

• roofing
• electrics and wiring
• lighting
• gas work
• plumbing and heating
• glazing
• plastering

In many cases you must get a qualified professional to do the work for you ? check rules and regulations in your country or state, to see if you are permitted to do the work yourself.

Aside from the obvious safety implications, this is important to make sure your home insurance is valid in the case of any accident, or when you come to sell your home.

You might also wish to get a professional in to help you (or to do it for you) for:

• Fitting carpets or re-finishing floors

• Installing fitted kitchens or bathooms

• Installing fitted wardrobes

• Custom built and fitted storage

Some people will feel happy to try all or any of these jobs themselves. Many will not!

You should only undertake do it yourself home improvements projects where you feel comfortable and competent to do so?

?or if you are happy to take the risk of trying it, and messing it up!

(Bearing in mind, it may cost you more than it would have done originally, if you then need to get someone it to do the job, plus clean up your mistake).

Do it yourself home improvements that many people are happy to try themselves:

• Painting (very easy ? low risk, low expense)

• Wallpapering (needs a bit of practice, but OK once you?ve got the hang of it)

• Putting up shelves (needs a bit of practice and concentration)

• Assembling flat-pack furniture (easy to complex ? depending on the furniture, and the quality of the instructions!)

• Sewing curtains (some sewing skills needed)

There are some more links to jobs you might like to try yourself, at the end of the page (under 'Where to go next...')

If you do decide to call in the professionals, this decorating help can assist you in:

• Choosing the right tradesman
• Making sure you get a good job done

The best way to find a tradesman is by recommendation...

Ask friends, family and especially neighbors ? particularly people who?ve been in your area for a long time

• Also check trade websites and associations for lists of registered members

Ask 3 tradesmen for quotes.

• When you ask for quotes, it is a good idea to write down everything you want done, and any specific materials you already have in mind. A vague question deserves a vague answer!

• Make sure you ask for a ?firm quote? and not an ?estimate? ? and also check what has been included in your quote.

• Sometimes tradesmen can supply you with an estimate initially, which is fine. But if you?d like a firm price before you start, you need to ask for a firm quotation.

• Don?t necessarily go with the cheapest quote, or, indeed, the most expensive, thinking it?s bound to be the best. Take into account factors such as:

1. Any recommendations
2. Experience
3. What?s actually included in the price
4. Rapport and understanding between you and the tradesman ? are you on the same wavelength ? this counts for a lot!

Good tradesmen may be booked up well in advance ? so allow plenty of time for your project, if you want the best.

• For larger projects, your appointed tradesman might employ subcontractors. Remember, your ?contract? is still with your initial tradesman, and you should discuss matters with him, and not the subcontractors.

• Agree a start date, and an expected length of time for the work, in principle, before the work actually starts.

• Agree on the method and times of payment. Payments may need to be made in stages, so that your tradesman can buy the materials required. Or you may agree to source and buy the materials yourself.

• Check that your tradesman has adequate insurance.

• Unexpected problems can happen to the very best tradesmen. Agree the price before deciding how to deal with it, if this happens in the middle of your project.

• You don?t need a complex contract, but a simple written quote and agreed terms can make it simpler for everyone.

• Formal contracts can be a good idea for larger and more expensive jobs, though.

Try to keep things friendly, and professional with your tradesman.

There?s no need to be looking over their shoulder every hour, but it?s as well to inspect work regularly, and check it?s all going to plan. And then you can bring up any concerns promptly, too, which can save time and money.

Set boundaries.

If you don?t want the radio blaring out before 9am, or if you?d rather workmen stuck to the downstairs bathroom, discuss this with your tradesman politely, ideally at the start of the project, or certainly as soon as you become aware of any problems starting.

Your tradesmen and workmen are people, too.

Respect them, and their needs, and I?m sure you?ll find they will respect yours, too ? and you?ll come to a happy working arrangement together.

Providing you?ve done your research well, and provided and requested full and accurate information from/to your tradesmen, as to the decorating help you require, there?s no reason why you shouldn?t be very happy with a job well done!

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Where to go next...

Find out more about about do it yourself home improvements you can give a go:

Painting

Wallpapering

Tiling

Curtains and Blinds

Installing a kitchen countertop

Updating kitchen cabinets

How to paint furniture

More about How to Interior Design it Yourself

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