by
Carl Hampton
10/06/2006
Tired or fed up of paying contractors for
doing jobs you can do yourself? At some time
most of us will feel like that. Guess what,
you really don't have to anymore. We seem to
have a never ending access to all the
information we need to do these jobs
ourselves. Many hardware stores are now
giving free instructional classes on the
weekends, there are also all those
instructional television shows plus
countless CD sets that make doing it
yourself seem really easy. Not only do we
get to save money, in most cases a lot of
money but we also get to take great pride in
what we have done. Here are some suggestions
and statistics about doing it yourself.
There has been a do-it-yourself boom in
recent years. Statistics show that the age
group that relies most on do-it-yourself
activities are people between the ages of 30
and mid 40's, (they make up 41 percent of
home improvement spending). DIY is now
starting to attract more women, about
one-fifth of home buyers in this past year
were unmarried women, so it makes sense that
women are getting more involved, there is a
great website ( www.BeJane.com) dedicated to
incorporating women to the do-it-yourself
world.
Statistics also show that an average
household invests just over $2,000 a year on
home improvements. When starting a new home
improvement project remember to start off on
a small scale and always be prepared. You
should estimate how long the project will
take, double it and then add two days since
you are doing it yourself. Buy extra parts,
just in case you under estimated, you can
always return the unused items after you're
done. You probably should learn how to lay
down tile before you replace your carpet
with hardwood floor. Or try replacing a
faucet before working on your plumbing, just
for the record replacing a faucet by
yourself can save you up to $400.
If you are still leaning towards having the
work done by a contractor and want to save
money, ask the contractor if there is work
you can do on your own, like the demolition
or the clean up. You could always start
something then get the contractor to finish
it. The one thing you should never forget to
do is check if the work who wish to do
requires a permit. Fines for not having a
permit for work done can range between $100
to $25,000 so take the time to check first,
a simple phone call is all it will take to
stay out of trouble.
