DIY | Home Maintenance

6 Home Improvement Myths Debunked

6 Home Improvement Myths DebunkedYou can do it ALL yourself.

Now I’m the first person that will say you can do anything you put your mind to. However, when it comes to home improvement and home maintenance tasks, there are some things that should be left to a licensed professional. If your project involves working with gas or electricity, its best to leave it in the hands of a professional to avoid an accident that could prove to be very costly in the end or cause bodily harm.

You need to be an expert.

Well, my life story totally debunks that myth. I’m a former banker who loved tinkering with things around the house. Doing it yourself simply requires the courage to get started. And with a little guidance, which I found in home improvement classes I took at my local community college, Youtube, and tons of DIY how–to guides, you’ll be surprised by what you can accomplish around the home.

It’s not hard, It’s quick and easy.

Well….maybe…sometimes…mostly not. Ok real life is not your DIY/HGTV television show. I’ve yet to start a project that goes exactly as planned every time, whether I’m doing it or if I’m hiring the task out. So be prepared to factor in the time it may take to properly get the job done. There may be, there will be times when you will literally be waiting for paint to dry. Other times, in order to get the right finish and look you may have to endure the arduous job of sanding or stripping away layers of old paint job. So to be honest, a weekend project may very well take 2 or 3 weekends to complete the project.

You have to own a lot of equipment.

Please don’t go out and buy out the tool section in your local hardware store, especially if your only going to use something once or twice. Many small tasks can be accomplished with your basic toolbox essentials kit. You can also consider multi-purpose tools. It’s cost effective and saves space. There are also tool libraries throughout the country in which you can check out tools, similar to checking out a book from a library.

Mistakes aren’t a big deal.6 Home Improvement Myths Debunked

Not true. Consider your putting together a square bookshelf but your measurements were slightly off. So the base of your square is more of a rectangle. At the end of the build you may end up with the leaning tower of books. Take your time. Make sure your measurements are sound. If your are sanding or drilling make sure to pay attention to the details. The life of a DIY is not a race to the finish line. Be patient and take your time, little mistakes can become costly disasters.

You don’t need a permit for a DIY remodel.

WRONG. In fact if you do not have a permit you can be forced to pay a huge fine and be forced to dismantle your entire project. Imagine building your dream outdoor deck, which is 10 feet off the ground. You found the perfect plans at Lowe’s and built it to perfectly. But you didn’t obtain the proper permits to build the deck with your local municipality. Not only will you out the cost and time it took to the build the deck, but possibly thousands of dollars in fines and the cost to take it down, immediately. So before you build or demolish, find out if the project you intend to take on requires any permits from your local municipality.

 

 

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