The Pros And Cons of DIY
By: John Garcia | Date Posted: March 7, 2022
Do-it-yourself (DIY) projects have always been popular. They give people a project to work towards, and for some tasks, they will save you money by doing it yourself instead of hiring a professional.
This could be fixing a leak or putting up a garden shed.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, DIY projects became a central part of many people’s lives.
It filled a void in their life as they may not have been working, and with no tradespeople able to do jobs in line with COVID rules, the work had to be done by the homeowners instead.
This saw a 50% increase in online sales for home improvement and gardening products.
Some of the basic projects people begin with include putting up a shelf, painting a wall, creating a garden path, or building a palette sofa for your garden.
Once you know how to get started with DIY projects, they can be very rewarding to complete. As with many projects, however, they do come with some cons too.
Here are the pros and cons of DIY.
Pros of DIY
- Learning a lifelong skill – The skills you learn for your DIY project can be used over and over again, making it a useful skill for life.
- Cheaper than hiring a professional – Labour costs will drive the price of your project up dramatically. Buy the materials yourself and cut out the labor costs.
- Rewarding – Taking on a project will make you feel good when you complete it.
- Enjoyable – These projects can be fun for many people and are a positive way to spend your free time.
- Can be done as a group – Not every task can be done solo. Invite your friends or family to help and enjoy some bonding time together as you take on your DIY project.
Cons of DIY
- Risk – When working with tools, you bear some risk, but with the right personal protective equipment, you can reduce the chances of hurting yourself.
- Time-consuming – As this is something new to you, it will take significantly longer than a professional would take to complete as you try to make sure you get it right.
- Can be costly – Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the price of materials for DIY projects has risen, which might make your project more expensive than you would hope.
- Have to invest in the right tools – You will need to invest in basic tools such as a drill and screwdriver. These will most likely be needed for any DIY project.
For the most part, these projects are fun, practical, and rewarding. Don’t shirk the challenge; learn a new skill and be proud of yourself and your DIY project.
Here are the pros and cons of Hiring Professionals instead of DIY
Pros of Hiring Professionals
- Experience – They have more experience and can guide you through problems that often arise in large-scale renovations.
- Specialists – Hiring a trade specialist such as an electrician means they are qualified; having the knowledge and skills to carry out the work without any issues.
- More Free time for you – Allowing a professional to take on the work will free up your time, leaving you to enjoy other activities.
- Management of Contracts – General contractors can manage large-scale renovations as they have connections with subcontractors and specialists in your area, saving you the time and trouble of finding them.
- Better Pricing – Professionals often have trade deals with suppliers, enabling them to obtain better prices for materials.
- Permits and Compliance – They ensure the project is compliant and legal by handling permits and other details.
- They can take on a bigger project – The sky is the limit! Well, your budget is the limit. But hiring a contractor allows you to expand your vision beyond what your skillset would allow you to accomplish.
- Faulty Work – In case of faulty work, their work on your home will be covered if they are licensed and insured (if they aren’t, don’t hire them). They are obligated to remedy the situation as soon as possible.
Cons of Hiring Professionals
- Design – Most often, the result you desire will not be the exact design or idea you had before starting the project. Shapes, colors, and sizes may need to be adjusted. If you hire professionals to complete the project, they’re likely to charge you extra every time you request a change, which is very inconvenient for you.
- Cost – Hiring a contractor to do the work is more expensive than tackling the project yourself. As a result of doing it yourself, you will also have more control over the purchases you need to make.
- Too many other clients – You are rarely the only job they have at any given time, and you may be overlooked.
- Delays – There is almost always a delay beyond what is expected.
- Keep a close eye on the work – Unless you want it done exactly as you picture it in your head, it’s not going to be a hands-off experience. You need to stay on top of things constantly, or else things will need to be reworked (or you may do as most people do and not speak up but resent it for years and years).
- No control over schedule – They determine timelines and schedules, so you have little control over when things happen.
- Design Skills – If you don’t specify your wishes, they will often do things that they have done in other homes. They aren’t designers, so make them aware of what you want.
- No Privacy – Your home can become chaotic and overcrowded with extra people.
- Noise – It can become very noisy, which is difficult if you have an older person living with you, who may need afternoon naps, or a baby’s routine could get messed up.
Even when it’s something as simple as building a bookshelf, building something with your hands is always a satisfying feeling.
It also adds value to an object’s worth.
The self-satisfaction of completing a DIY project is really all that matters, plus it gives you bragging rights when your friends see the completed job!
Thank you for reading!
