Ah, the wonderful yet frustrating world of homeownership. The switch from an apartment—where repairs are taken care of and DIYs are out of the question—to a home you’re entirely responsible for can be jarring.
Maybe you’ve been living in your home for several years now, and it’s time to make a change. Maybe the house you recently moved into is just one great DIY project away from dream-home material. Or, less fun, maybe your dishwasher has broken down after years of loyal service (our condolences).
Now, here’s the question . . . do you do it yourself or hire a handyman? Below, we’ll go over some of the situations where you’ll want to consider hiring a handyman for your project.
If the Job Is Urgent
If the job is an emergency, like stopping your basement from flooding, there’s really no time to waste. Don’t try and figure out whether you can do it yourself—you don’t want to risk making the problem worse or injuring yourself. In these cases, always call a professional.
If the job isn’t an emergency but is still urgent, like if you have a time constraint or due date, then this is also a great reason to hire a handyman. They have the skills, tools, and experience to get your project up and running quicker than if you were to do it on your own.
Professionals can also give you an accurate estimate of how long it will take them to finish the project at hand, so you can better plan around it. To save yourself the stress of trying to get everything done on your own before it’s too late, hire a handyman.
If You Don’t Have Time
Sometimes the decision of whether to DIY or hire a professional isn’t a question of skill, but of time. Even if you’ve completed similar projects in the past, it may be within your best interests to hire a handyman when you simply don’t have the time to spare.
DIY projects and home repairs can often take longer than you anticipated. They can eat up the valuable time you could have spent with friends and family, or simply relaxing from a long day at work.
Instead of filling your time with intense physical labor and trips to Home Depot, hiring an experienced handyman to take the project off your plate is a win-win.
If the Job Is Complex
Don’t underestimate the amount of hard work, precision, physical labor, and expertise that goes into home improvement. If you’re planning on building something onto your home, like a deck, pergola, sunroom, etc., we highly recommend hiring a professional.
It’s too easy to fail a complex project like this if you don’t have the expertise required. A handyman will not only preserve your project’s aesthetic appeal, but also know what kinds of materials/paints you need to make sure your project lasts.
They’ll know how to seal wood so water damage doesn’t wreak havoc, how to insulate an add-on against extreme temperatures, etc.
You don’t want to put in all that effort and time just to find out years later that you missed something which meant the difference between your project lasting for decades or mere months.
If You Don’t Have the Experience
We’ve all seen a DIY project or two on social media and thought to ourselves, “That looks easy! I could do that!” But we’re sure you’ve also seen the spectacular Pinterest fails. Because what those influencers aren’t showing you is the extent of their own experience backing up their results.
If you don’t have any DIY or home repair expertise, you might accidentally create a much bigger problem. This is more likely if your project includes some kind of artistic or design element. Don’t take on a project you’re not equipped to handle only to have to tear it down once you’re done.
Hiring a handyman to do it perfectly the first time will save you a whole lot of stress, money, and regret.
If You Don’t Have the Right Tools/Materials
Many DIY and home repair projects require you to have a specific selection of tools. If you’re not used to this kind of work, then we doubt you have a circular saw, belt sander, heat gun, or other special tools just lying around.
While these tools can often be rented, this can add to your expenses. And, if you don’t have the experience to back you up, you could end up injuring yourself without the proper knowledge or personal protection equipment (PPE) to shield you.
You may be wondering if you can simply make do with the less professional tools or cheaper materials you already have on hand. Well, you’re unlikely to get the same results that way. After all, an artist is only as good as their tools!
A handyman will have access to all the equipment and materials needed to get the job done right.
If the Cost Is Worth It
Sure, a handyman will be able to finish a repair or home improvement project no problem, but is the cost worth it? Well, for big or urgent jobs, absolutely.
Not only will a handyman deliver a polished final product that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, but they will also have the know-how to make sure your project lasts.
You’re likely to be saving money in the long run by ensuring the job is done right in the first place. And, if you sell your house, you could be making more money on the home improvements than you spent on hiring a professional to install them.
Buying or renting the right tools and equipment yourself can add significant cost to your budget. Like we mentioned before, handymen already have all the right tools at their disposal.
And, as the old adage goes, time is money. Any time you save on the work you would’ve had to do yourself is worth the cost to some degree.
For smaller repair projects or cheap and low-stakes DIYs, you may be able to get away with an online tutorial. Just be sure you do your research and protect yourself with the right PPE (so you can avoid spending even more money on a trip to the ER).
If You Have an HOA
Lastly, if you live in a neighborhood with an HOA, you’re going to want to hire a handyman. In some cases, you may even be required to hire someone with experience instead of attempting to do it yourself.
Separate cities/states and HOAs have different requirements for repairs and home improvement projects. This is especially important if your project can be seen by (or affect) other residents. These regulations are to ensure you and your neighbors’ safety and maintain property value.
A handyman will know what requirements they must adhere to in order to make sure your home remains safe and up to code. This will also help you avoid HOA fines or having to tear down and redo a project you already completed by yourself.
Check in with your HOA if you’re unfamiliar with their home improvement/repair policies.
We hope this article has helped you make an informed decision about whether to hire a handyman. Let us know how your project turned out!
Connect with a local handyman in your area.
