OneHome Inspections

View Original

Dodgy DIYers

You moved into your new house or apartment a while ago with plenty of ideas on how you would turn your brand-new purchase into your dream home later.

Then, life might have gotten in the way and, more particularly, money. However, you’ve been watching the Block and House Rules lately, and you really feel like you could do it! For only a few thousand dollars, it seems like you can do it all yourself and genuinely come up with something magical that will add a lot of value to your property. How hard can it be?  

Well, while DIY renovation seems an appealing idea on paper, especially because it allows you to save a lot of money by cutting out the middleman and finding objects and furniture for a bargain, the reality can be quite different. If you’re interested in DIY renovations for your home, read on as we highlight some of the critical things to pay attention to before starting to tear apart your house ;)

 

Renovating Requires Skills

Remodelling a house or a room requires specific skills and some experience. After all, it is a profession! Some of the common mistakes homeowners make by lack of expertise and skill can cost a lot of money, time and lead to frustration.

Choosing the right materials (cheap doesn’t equal quality, as you probably know), designing the new home, making useful changes that will improve the flow and functionality of your house, and performing all the technical aspects like a professional can be time-consuming and end up costing you more because of the mistakes you’ll make along the way.

The quality of the work and finishes is essential to add value to your property and make it look beautiful, modern, and inviting. As a result, hiring professionals, at least for some of the technical and complex tasks, can be the best way to ensure your property’s value increases over time.

 

Finding Subcontractors

 When DIY-ing your home, you might still need to hire some skilled subcontractors for plaster installation or whole-house wiring. Unfortunately, this can prove a challenging, time-consuming, and frustrating experience as you try and navigate the ins and outs of the subcontractor world. Hiring a contractor will allow you to save time and money as they rely on a network of skilled subcontractors, making it easy to quickly hire the right people for the job.

 

Approvals and Codes

When remodelling your home, you’ll have to think about many things, including approvals and codes. Depending on where you live and what kind of renovations you want to do, your project will most likely require that you ask for permission. The approvals will be bound to the building code, which specifies the standard of constructed objects. This means your home will have to comply with the code and its high building standards, and if you’re not an expert, it might be difficult for you to achieve.

 

While there are things you can do to save money on your remodelling, such as shop around and do the prep work, you’ll still need skilled labour to complete some of the more complex tasks and ensure your property turns out exactly as you wanted it to!