Pros and Cons of DIYing Home Renovation Projects

Doing an entire renovation on your own can be a big commitment that involves many hours of hard work, new tools, and above all lots of patience. You may want to hire a professional to do it for you instead. Here are some pros and cons of DIYing, or doing a home renovation project yourself.

Pro: It Might Be Cheaper to DIY

Cost is probably one of the first things that come to mind when considering whether or not to do a home renovation on your own. It is true that hiring contractors to do the labor of the renovation may cost you more. However, if you aren’t experienced in home renovation, DIY might end up costing you more in total.

How Much Does a Home Renovation Cost?

On average, labor costs are $15 to $60 per square footage for a house in the United States to renovate a home. The total cost depends on the scale and nature of the project. You won’t have to worry about labor costs if you choose to DIY. A DIY renovation costs around $10,000 on average, as compared to $30,000 – $100,000 for hiring a professional.

Pro: You Can Complete the Project on Your Own Schedule

One pro of doing a home renovation by yourself is that you can work at a pace that best works for you, at whatever time is convenient for you. Doing the project on your own means you get started whenever you want to, without waiting until a contractor has the time to undertake your home renovation.

Con: There Could Be Hidden Costs

While it may seem like a DIY is cheaper upfront, there could be many hidden costs associated with doing a home renovation on your own. Depending on your project, you might need to buy more tools, which a professional would already have. Additionally, if you’re not experienced, you might make a mistake that would cost you to repair. You might ultimately need to hire a professional in the end anyway, at which point it would cost more because they would need to correct any problems.

What Tools Do You Need for a DIY Home Renovation?

If you decide to renovate a home on your own, you will need to make sure you have the proper tools and equipment to get the job done. Some of the tools that you should consider if you’d like to try a DIY home renovation are:

• Wrench
• Plastic drop cloth
• N95 Mask
• Firm grip gloves
• Rotary hammer
• Cordless saw
• Ladder
• Screwdriver
• Hammer

Con: It May Take You Longer Than a Professional Would

While you can work on your own schedule with a DIY project, it also can be a big time commitment. This commitment doesn’t just involve the work itself at home, but the research, equipment shopping, YouTube tutorials, and more. Unless you’ve done many home renovations before, there will inevitably be a learning curve that takes much of your time and energy.

How Long Does a DIY Home Renovation Take?

How long a home renovation takes depends on the project, but on average, it could take around 16 hours a week stretched over 5 or 6 weeks. If you have other commitments in your life with work or family, that timeline could be even longer. Hiring a professional could end up saving you a lot of time.

A DIY Home Renovation May Not Be High Quality

The saying “you get what you pay for” applies to home renovations, too. You might save money on doing it yourself, but at the same time, unless you’re a highly skilled renovator yourself, your DIY project might not be as good as what a contractor could do for you. Consider your own skills when you’re deciding between DIY and hiring a professional.