Pros and Cons of Doing it Yourself Repair

November 15, 2009 by Tyrone
Filed under: Personal Finance, Tips

There might be nitty-gritty stuffs in your home that needs repair. I admit, I am not that knowledgeable when it comes to home and electrical appliance repairs. I envy my dad because he has a lot of knowledge when it comes to it. He don’t need to bring the appliance to a service center or hire a contractor to service us for little things he can handle. That saves us a lot of money yearly!

Hiring a handyman to work around your home is a luxury to many people can’t afford. But before you decide to tackle a job yourself, ask yourself these questions to determine if you can handle things on your own.

How long will it take? Carefully consider how much time and sanity you’re willing to give up. If a contractor could take care of it in a month, it may easily take a do-it-yourself person a half year.

Are you familiar with the tools? Safety should be a priority. If you don’t know how to use certain tools, you could cause more problems. Saws and drills can certainly save time and make the job go smoother. However, they can also take a large chunk out of one’s body if not used properly.

How complicated is it? Some jobs are fine for the do-it-yourselfer because any mistakes you make can be repaired. However, other jobs should be left to the contractors such as:

Electrical work. Improper wiring creates fire hazard. Saving a few bucks isn’t worth losing your home.
Plumbing. Never underestimate the importance of good plumbing. If the drains aren’t done right, you should have sewer gases backing up into the home.
Structural renovations. Projects that affect a home’s support system - such as putting a window or door in a solid wall - can cause expensive damage if done wrong, from sagging doors to a collapsing roof.

Still hooked on doing it yourself? Your next step is to find out how and where to get the best deals on building materials. Check out these resources for cheap and free how-to-help.

Major hardware stores often offer classes where experts teach you how to use tools safely, lay tile yourself, apply special paint techniques, and other tricks of the trade.
Look for how-to-do-it-yourself books with good photographs and illustrations in your local bookstores.
Get help online through chat rooms, blogs, and forums. Type in your questions, look up projects, and get advice from experts.

For the best deals on building materials, here are some tips:

Watch the sale catalogs for local hardware stores. Certain projects tend to be seasonal. You may find just what you need on sale when you need it.
Ask contractors for their scraps. Offer to pick up the old materials yourself, and they may let you have them for free.
Visit an overstock store. Some specialize in building materials - such as tubs, sinks, windows, doors, and other items - at deep discounts.

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Comments

6 Comments on Pros and Cons of Doing it Yourself Repair

Phaoloo on Sun, 15th Nov 2009 3:06 pm

I only DIY repair or make some thing when I have stress and want to get out of my PC. It’s an awesome task to release stress and save us some bucks.

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Dana @ Online Knowledge on Mon, 16th Nov 2009 8:40 am

I only repair by my self if i really understand the broken hardware.

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Ms. Freeman on Tue, 17th Nov 2009 12:57 am

I tend to handle the small jobs around the house including changing my own oil in my car. But the larger electrical jobs that I could cause major damage to I definitely get professional help. I it is a dating bonus when a girl can say she can do some of the basic household repair jobs. 

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Extreme John on Tue, 17th Nov 2009 8:53 am

I am terrible at trying to repair things on my own, I give up within 30 seconds.

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Darvin @ Recycling Christmas Card on Sat, 21st Nov 2009 1:34 pm

There are very few things I would feel comfortable repairing myself in my house. I’d be too scared that I would only make it worse and ended up paying somebody even more money to come in and fix my errors!

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jackie @ Where To Buy Zhu Zhu Pets on Sun, 29th Nov 2009 7:55 am

Oh yeah, I have tried to repair the car before(alternator).. It was a Honda Civic…never again. I ended up towing it to the repair shop after 3 hours of frustration. You would think an alternator would be easy fix, but it wasn’t for me.