When does DIY Cost More than a Seattle Handyman?
We’ve been doing home maintenance and repair in the Seattle area for a long time. And we’ve noticed that when it comes to home maintenance and repair, there are generally two reasons why people do it themselves. One reason is that they genuinely enjoy working on their homes and like the sense of accomplishment doing small repairs gives them. As Martha Stewart might say, “It’s a good thing!”
The other main reason people strap on their tool belts and plug in their power saws is because they want to save money. That’s not a bad thing, either. Who wouldn’t want to save money? There are times, however, when our attempts to save money actual cost us more. And it usually comes down to two simple things: Equipment and Expertise.
Equipment: There are a lot of simple home repair jobs that can be done with a basic toolkit. You don’t need to hire someone to tighten a few bolts or screws. There are some jobs, however, that are really hard (if not impossible) to do without the right equipment. And if you try to make the repair without the right tool, you’ll end up with a result you’re not happy with. The problem you’re trying to fix may end up worse. And if you’re not careful, you can even hurt yourself by using the wrong tool.
One solution is to purchase the tool you need. But specialty tools can be expensive. And if you only use that tool one time, it’s a pretty lousy return on your investment.
Expertise: Sometimes even having the right equipment isn’t enough. Some repairs require a fair amount of knowledge and experience. Sometimes the real problem isn’t what you see on the surface. But if you don’t have the experience or expertise to diagnose the problem you can “fix” what seems to be the problem—only to find out later that you didn’t really fix it at all.
Even if you know what the problem is—and have a pretty good idea of what needs to be done to remedy the situation—it may take you a lot longer to fix the problem than someone who does this everyday for a living. Then there’s the issue of confidence: Did you fix it properly? Will your repair last? If you have to keep repairing something, are you really saving money?
If you have the tools you need, the know-how required, and the desire to get your hands dirty—by all means go for it and make those repairs. But don’t let the possibility of saving a few bucks get you into a situation that could cost you big bucks down the road.