Should I Hire a Contractor or Renovate Myself?

Renovating your entire house or just a single room can add much more than monetary value to your home. Perhaps you need to make room for a new family member. Or maybe you're tired of not being able to park your car in the garage and you want to install shelves to get boxes off the floor. Or perhaps you consider yourself a handyperson and want the family to participate in a project together. Whatever your reason, before starting any project, you need to decide whether you should tackle all or part of the renovation yourself. Prior to strapping on your tool belt, the following considerations will help you decide who's the best renovator for the job.

Know what you're getting yourself into. Two popular reasons for taking on your own home renovation projects are the enjoyment of doing it yourself and saving money. In fact, if you have the time and skill to do it yourself, experts estimate you can save up to 50% on renovation costs. However, the do-it-yourselfers who find themselves in trouble halfway through their renovation attempt can end up paying more to fix what they have started. So before starting any renovation project, it's best to put your plan on paper so you can see exactly what the job will entail. By breaking up the project into small tasks, you can more easily discover where your own time and skill might fit in to the overall project if you decide not to do it entirely yourself.

Also, perform a tool and material analysis/budget. Do you have all the tools necessary to complete the job? If you don't, can you borrow them? Otherwise, you will have to rent or buy them. Something to think about is the damage factor, or what it will cost you to correct a mistake you make. It may be hard to predict but it should be included in your budget.

After you have the project mapped out, ask yourself: Do I really have the time and energy to work additional hours on weeknights or over the weekend after working a full 40-hour workweek? Finally, make sure your plan includes where all gas, water and electricity shut-off valves are in case of an emergency during your renovation, regardless of who ends up doing it.

Do you have what it takes to complete the project? Good intention might not be good enough to get a project completed. Make sure you have the physical prowess and energy to complete the project. Are you going to have to lift heavy materials? Carry them upstairs? How is your back? If laying wood floors, be prepared to be uncomfortable for long periods of time. And what about the knowledge to do a high-quality job on the first try? Know your limitations and consider whether you can get up to speed in understanding and skill to do a satisfactory job.

The website Apartment Therapy helps do-it-yourselfers decide which projects to try in whole or in part by categorizing them by difficulty. They include:

• Beginner: painting, wallpapering, landscaping, changing hardware and refinishing wood furniture.
• Medium: Tiling, laying hardwood floors, hanging doors, installing carpet, cutting and installing molding, installing cabinetry and hanging drapery or window treatments.
• Advanced: Framing, reupholstering furniture and installing drywall.
• Professional: Roof repair, replacing windows, structural alterations and anything involving plumping or electrical.

Know what you need on the outside to start working on the inside. Major renovation projects like adding a loft or a new room will require permits and inspections. Typically, contractors will include the execution of these steps in their price. If you go it alone and if it is appropriate to the job, make sure you are up to date on building codes. And if you work at your regular job during the week and you're doing the work on the weekend, you will usually have to make time to meet with inspectors during the workweek.

Plan on living within the chaos. If you decide to take the project on yourself, make sure you and your family are prepared to live around your project. If you are not working on the project full-time, chances are whatever you are renovating, let's say a kitchen, will be fully or partly out of commission longer than if somebody else was working on it full-time. Therefore, make sure there is a contingency plan regarding what to do if you don't have access to something you might need. Chaos can be internal as well. There is stress involved taking on any job and being under pressure to complete it in a timely manner, especially if you have family members reminding you of how out of sorts their world is as a result of the renovation. Experts say that if this is the first time you are doing something, it can take two to three times longer than if you had done it before.

Contribute what you can. At the end of the day, perhaps you feel that doing it entirely yourself just doesn't add up to hiring a contractor. If that's the case, a compromise might be the best approach to your renovation project. Although you might want to participate more, understanding your limitations of time and expertise can end up saving you time and money in the long run. There are many parts to most projects. Outside of any special renovation skills you have, you could do the painting or decorating, and add light fixtures and hardware to cabinetry. That way you still get to participate and save some money on the project.

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