“With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.”
Dalai Lama
How can you save money and improve your home without setting both on fire?
Start with these two actionable items to avoid silly expenses in your DIY projects or when hiring a Pro:
- Don’t have your personal finance budget set up yet? Go to this post first: Keeping a budget, plus free tools to use.
- This is about saving today, not for down the road. For long term savings tools, visit our Resources page.
DIY in your Home: Saves money, permits far more control, and can be used as educational moments to instill confidence in a child. Some jobs you can just study up and do yourself (seriously), while others are a bridge just a bit too far, and these require a pro.
The most common home updates you can Do Yourself:
- Cleaning** – There are myriad home solutions you can do yourself, that utilize stuff you probably already have, and won’t take long. Don’t buy products at your grocery or hardware store that are 90% marketing and 10% water + puny cleaning solution. Google solutions and you will be freed from the burden of consumerism. Top loading washer smells rough? Check this out. Tough stains (like red wine)? Check this out.
- Minor Plumbing – Not just unclogging drains, but installing a new toilet, sink and one piece shower stall can be done with your two hands. Well, they may require a buddy with two more hands (hopefully with some home maintenance knowledge). Add in a few hours of time and a little sweat, and you can do this without spending silly money on a professional.
- Flooring – Disclaimer first! Spend your hard earned cash on good tools if you’re doing this yourself. Definitely get the knee pads, buck-o. Home improvement stores have a ton of instructions and tools to get you going. Check out Lowe’s How-To’s Flooring guide. Scared to do this yourself? Good! Do something you’ve never done before and show yourself and your kids that you can do it!
- Landscaping, Decks and Outdoor Stuff – This is a weekend project, Dad. Moving around earth requires a shovel and a hose if it’s dry. You’ll need help from your partner or kids to move in large plants. Want to go bigger, like an LED lit deck? Check this out. Want to be blown away by landscaping porn? Check this out.
- Painting – Bringing in painters will expedite the process and it’s a low risk project. However, they tend to charge an arm and a leg, and the overage risk, as in needing to buy more paint and materials than expected, is consistently high and could tip your budget. Spend a weekend rolling and touching up paint, then sit back and admire your work.
- Bathroom Renovation – You can update your bathroom’s look and function yourself. Use a crowbar to remove tile, mirrors, standing showers, and countertops. If you’re pulling out your sink and toilet, be sure to stuff all open piping from septic gases. You can buy a new toilet, new sink, new tiles, new mirrors and a new standing shower for far less than it costs to hire a designer, contractor and plumber. This is pushing the limits of most DIY projects, which segues into projects you’ll want to hire a pro to handle.
When do you know when you need to call in the professionals?
Hiring a Pro: Spend more money and relinquish some control, but gain time and body parts, and sleep comfortably knowing a trained, insured professional handled that tricky job.
The home updates that will require a PRO to handle:
- Major Plumbing – If you can’t reach it, hire a pro. You don’t need to tear up your home structure trying to rig a new half bath.
- Roofing – Back-breaking, difficult, dangerous, complicated, expensive, and even more expensive if you get it wrong. Hire a Pro.
- Additions – There’s one way to DIY an addition: Rent a roll off dumpster and toss out all the crap making you feel like you need an addition. Can’t do that? Hire a pro, which is easy to do with Angi.com.
- Big Windows (like over 30″) – They’re expensive, require all kinds of considerations, like sealant, and you’ll need at least three friends to help who will likely never help you with anything again. Ever.
- Electrical – If you’re not installing a dimmer or changing a lightbulb, hire a pro. I’ve seen sparks fly twice (with no injuries, thankfully) and that’s all I need to see, thank you very much.
- Moving – These pesky projects always require more time, effort and a marital fight you should allow. Movers are notorious for trying to scam and drive up prices, while showing up weeks later than promised. However, these times are changing. Moving companies are becoming more transparent with their costs with technology and increased competition in the market. Also, you can track your items easily these days with tech like Apple’s AirTag; take a look at how this Army spouse caught her movers (and saved time and money) here: “Army wife uses AirTags to track shady movers.”
*Obviously, large-scale projects like structural changes, additions, mold/lead/asbestos removal and anything else that basically requires government clearance should go through a pro.
** Done them myself and vouch for these sites and solutions.
