The question of who is going to do it is one of the most important ones to ask yourself when planning a home improvement project. Choosing between DIY work and hiring a professional is not just about money and time. You also need to look into other factors such as safety, scope of work, and required skills. Some jobs, like painting a nursery room, are too simple that doing it yourself is ideal, while others such as installing replacement windows that require specialized skills should be seriously attended by a professional.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
Renewal by Andersen® of Kansas City explains why below.
Safety First
Before starting any work in your house, ask yourself how safe it is. Do you need to climb up the roof? Will you be lifting heavy objects to bring in and out of the house? Does it involve electrical wiring? Are you going to use sharp and heavy tools or equipment?
If it requires more energy, physical and financial risk, and skills you don’t have, you need to think twice about doing it yourself, especially if you live alone. At Renewal by Andersen, we believe that hiring a professional is still the best option in terms of safety, as our crews are highly trained and insured.
Time and Cost
Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, there will always be time and money involved. In the world of home improvement, time is money. This is because in most cases, the longer you work on something, the more time and money it’s likely to take.
Calculate the amount of time and money a certain project will take. For instance, if you are planning to replace a window, measure the time it will take for you to buy a new window, take out the old one, install the replacement, and clean up the work area. The same goes with hiring a window company.
List down all the expenses it will incur—from your transportation to the store until the last piece has been installed in your home. When hiring a contractor, you will just pay for the materials and labor; but if you DIY, you will pay for tools, materials, transportation of replacements, and even training (in case you need to formally learn how to do it). Watching tutorials online will help, but of course, it will take some of your time.
Warranty
One of the perks of hiring a professional is workmanship warranty. This is something that you won’t get from a DIY project, since you have no one but yourself to rely on when it comes to quality of work. Some contractors offer generous coverage on this, say, several years for casement windows installation. This is apart from the materials warranty, which you will surely get, since most reputable contractors are in partnerships with manufacturers.
With Renewal by Andersen, we offer products in several options, including warranties to protect your investment. Call us today at (913) 956-0887 for your free estimate. We serve all residents of Kansas City, MO.
