The Hidden Costs Of Unprepared Home DIY

Ah, the sweet little pleasures of home DIY… Or can you really talk about pleasures? While doing it yourself can be enjoyable, especially once you can stand proudly and claim the work as your own, there are many situations where DIY is the complete opposite of pleasure. It sometimes isn’t enjoyable or relaxing, it can also come at a hefty cost, for your health and your budget. Without mentioning the typical failures you can come across by scrolling down the long list of Pinterest fails – after all, everybody needs to start somewhere and it’s likely that these people will have learned from their mistakes and improve their craft by the second attempt – there are cases of home DIY where failing is worse than the Internet laughing at you.

I’ll Plan The Move Myself

It can be tempting, especially if you’re at the beginning of your career, to plan your relocation on your own. After all, you think, it can’t be that difficult to move a few boxes from a house to another. If you’re trying to save costs, you may even try to do everything using only your car, which means a lot of driving around and stressful moments such as wondering why your mattress got stuck in the car. Working with professional movers might seem unnecessary, but don’t let the expense stops you. You’ll be saving a lot in the long term, especially because there is less risk of breakage and you can start life in your new home without being exhausted or stressed out.

What Winter? I Can Waterproof The Home

If you live in an old home, you might be struggling with keeping the house safe against all weather damages, from a roof that doesn’t let the water in to insulating walls. You might find tutorial videos on how to fix your roof or your external wall, but you need to consider the cost of lack of knowledge and repair experience. If you fail to repair an area that lets the water in, you might not only increase the risk of leakage but also put your structure at risk.

I Don’t Need a Plumber; I Can Fix It

The reason why plumbers exist is that it’s a qualified job. Trying to fix frozen pipes you might cause serious bursts and damage your plumbing system. Installing a new water heater without the proper training might lead to a dangerous and potentially fatal situation. Additionally, most home insurances don’t cover water damages caused by amateur DIY.

Zapping Yourself Doing the Electrical Work

Electricity requires expert skills – believe it or not, but an electrician’s training requires more than watching a YouTube tutorial. I recall when my parents decided to build our home on their own – they did everything on their own. Dad would pour over this series of books he purchased that covered everything about building your own home every night. When it came time to do the electrical work, while the books helped him know what he needed to do, there were plenty of times when he got zapped.

While most electrical installations might take longer than expected if you’ve never done it before, it can also be risky. Amateur DIY works, especially with your electrical wiring, could lead to serious if not fatal injury. Finally, DIY damages to your home are not always covered by home insurances, which could leave you ruined and homeless.

Is DIY always the best solution? The answer is no. When it comes to your health – mental or physical – and your home cover, you need to trust professionals with your projects.