Things To Consider If You Should DIY Or Call A Pro
Do-it-yourself (DIY) home renovations can be a great way to save on your renovation costs. Yet hiring a contractor is not always the answer either. So how do you figure out the best approach for you? Here, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of DIY renovations and why it may make better sense to get in a contractor for the work required.
PROS OF DIY
- You’re in charge of the renovating process and timeline. Things are able to move a lot faster that way.
- You have control of your own budget, whereas contractor costs may mount up over time due to unexpected issues.
- You are your labour. Yes, you have to put in the effort yourself, but you will be smartly rewarded for that effort in saving on external labour costs involved with bringing in contractors.
- You can learn new skills! A part of the fun and quality of outcome with DIY renovations is that you may learn skills you never had before in the process. This will pay dividends over time as you’ll become more equipped to perform common maintenance and repair jobs in the future.
CONS OF DIY
- The work itself can be time consuming and exhausting and pile on to an already busy schedule.
- If you make mistakes during the renovation, the responsibility of fixing them is all on you.
- If you don’t have the tools, the cost of hiring or buying them for the work required can become quite a hefty initial investment.
- Sometimes it’s hard to get your renovation completed when you’re doing it yourself. Quite often people may get 80% of the work done and something else important in your life takes priority, therefore stalling your project.
PROS OF HIRING A CONTRACTOR
- Contractors are obviously more experienced to complete the work and will guide you through tricky issues that often crop up in — especially with large scale renovations.
- Skilled tradespeople are specialists in their line of work; from walls to electrical, plumbing and windows. If you feel a certain task is too much for you to handle it’s always best to get in a contractor to make sure the job is done to the standard you envisage.
- More time for you. By getting contractors in you’ll have more free time to concentrate on work or other important things.
- Contractors know who to contact for issues such as permits or specialist tasks for your renovation, saving you the leg-work of having to source them yourself.
- Contractors are licensed and insured, meaning the work they do on your home is covered if it’s faulty or any other issues arise.
- A contractor will likely have ideas on your renovation that you may not have thought of before, meaning you can expand your vision of how your renovation will turn out.
CONS OF HIRING A CONTRACTOR
- As contractors usually have multiple jobs on the go, timelines almost always stretch beyond initial estimates.
- In general, it’s more expensive to hire a contractor than to DIY (dependent on the task that is).
- Contractors will default to what they know, so you’ll need to properly explain your vision so they fully understand the task you’ve hired them for.
- You’ll likely need to adapt to their schedule so you’ll be required to make yourself available for them, not the other way around.
When looking to do renovations on your house without the necessary capital – no need to worry, you still have options. If you’re looking to finance your home renovations, Yes Loans can help. Our personalised loans come with a range of options and loan protection insurance. Once you have finalised your budget contact one of our personalised loan experts or apply direct for fast, efficient pre-approval so you can finance your renovation.