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DIY vs. Getting a Professional Contractor:

DIY (do it yourself) home improvement projects have become very popular over the last 10 years or so and that is great! For certain projects DIY can be rewarding if you know what you are doing and have the correct tools to get the job done right. But real quick before you get going on a DIY home improvement project take a look and ask yourself these questions:

1. What do you want the end result of your project to look like? Do you have a clear idea?

2. Do you have the time to take the project all the way to completion?

3. Do you know what materials, tools etc. you will need to complete the project?

4. Do you know what the applicable building codes and permits are needed for your project?

5. Are you personally skilled enough to undertake the project?

6. If you do not have the skills necessary, are you willing to take the time necessary to learn them?

7. If for some reason you can’t keep the project on schedule, are you able to handle the inconvenience of an unfinished project in your home?

8. Do you know in full all the safety issues associated with this project?

9. Do you have a full understanding of the structural makeup of your home, for example, if you knock down a wall, do you know how that will affect the structure of your home?

10. Have you taken into account the hidden costs connected with doing it yourself, for example, your time, buying tools and always the possibility that you may have actually decreased the value of your home by not having the work done to professional standards and up to code?

I know it is easy to see all the home improvement shows on the TV and say wow this is so easy even I could do it! Looking at the cost of hiring a professional remodeler, as opposed to you doing it yourself, you may think to yourself, gosh I would save a bundle if I did it myself and I know it would look just as good!

But Don’t Forget The Services That A Professional Contractor Offers You!

1. He offers his whole history of experience because he is constantly working on homes professionally for however long he has been a professional contractor.

2. All the tools of this trade, and let me tell you, there are a lot of tools for this trade.

3. His whole network of subcontractors and suppliers. It takes years to build up these relationships with people whom he knows he can trust for any job he puts them on and knows he will get a great product from every time with no fail.

4. All of his up to date legal and up to code knowledge for your home project, there are so many laws and legal rudiments that have to be in when it comes to remodeling your home and if even just one thing is out or isn’t per code, the value of your home drops because it wasn’t done standardly per code and therefor in the eyes of the city isn’t deemed safe.

5. All the latest construction techniques and better building materials which are improving the way people build every day! There are so many eco-friendly and energy efficient ways to build now that most people don’t even know about and therefore don’t know how to benefit from them. But a fully licensed contractor should know all about these new materials and is usually more than happy to give you data on them, if you have a hard time finding someone to give you more information; we are never too busy here at RWT Design & Construction.

Hope this was helpful,
RWT Design & Construction