Projects You Probably Shouldn’t Do Yourself

It’s that weird time between New Year’s and Spring Cleaning—the time when you’re trying to refocus the energy you were hoping to throw at your now defunct resolutions towards improving your home. For some of us this means searching the forums for things like affordable methods of replacing windows (or procrastinating the replacing of windows).

Here’s the thing: that kind of motivation, when paired with a Google search can be seductive. While nobody doubts that you are completely capable of learning how to do just about anything you want to learn how to do, there are some things that you really shouldn’t attempt to do on your own—no matter how easy those articles on WikiHow make them look.

The simple fact is that there are some home project ideas that are better executed by someone with construction or contracting experience.

Putting In New Cabinetry

In less than thirty seconds, you can turn up a bunch of articles that will tell you that you can install your own cabinets no matter what your current knowledge of cabinetry may be. Do Not Believe These Articles (every word was capitalized on purpose so you’ll know how serious I am).

For one thing, cabinets are heavy as heck. Trying to put them in yourself is a good way to set yourself up for injury and potential property damage. Your handyman (and his team) will be able to help you switch out your cabinets over the course of a couple of days. If you try to do it yourself, you risk having to keep your dishes in the hall closet for weeks or even months.

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Painting Your House

Yes, okay, you can paint the inside of your house yourself. That actually is relatively easy to do (provided you don’t want to do the ceiling). The outside of your house, however, is going to need professional attention. Outside painting is much different than inside painting and if you want it to look good (and not potentially wash off in the first rain, turning your yard into a biohazard) you’ll want to hire a professional painting service or handyman to do the job for you.

Anything Involving Plumbing

Seriously. Unless you are a plumber yourself, hire a professional to tackle your plumbing projects. Going in to a plumbing project blind is a great way to set yourself up for some severe property damage (that your insurance likely won’t cover because you’ll have caused it yourself).

While you’re at it…

Anything Involving Electricity

If it involves your having to go anywhere near the electrical wiring in your home, hire a professional to do the work for you. Most cities have ordinances that require electrical work to be done by licensed journeymen and electricians.

Converting Attic or Basement Storage Into Livable Space

Basements and attics are great storage spaces but if you want to turn them into spare rooms, you need to hire a professional handyman to help you. Converting attic or basement space usually means getting up close and personal with insulation, wiring, and plumbing and perhaps even some major construction to “finish” the space.

Remember: nobody is claiming that you aren’t capable of learning everything you need to know to do these projects. If you want to get them done now, though, hiring a professional to help out is a great way to get the projects completed in a timely enough fashion to sustain your “remodeling bug.” And, of course, you can always ask your handyman questions or hire someone who will let you help with some parts of each project!

 

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