One in ten homeowners find they have over-estimated their abilities to tackle home improvement projects, and it ends of hitting them right in the wallet. The average cost of repairing a D-I-Y project gone-wrong is almost $3,000 more than the budgeted amount. Jim Dutton, host of “Texas Home Improvement,” heard Saturday’s 2-4pm on KTRH, says you have to walk before you run. “If you’ve never done home repairs, I would not tell you to start off by remodeling a bathroom,” he recommends. “You want to start with the simple things like changing a light fixture, doing the painting.”
HGTV consistently rates among the top ten most-viewed cable television channels, and audiences are easily convinced they can flip homes and tackle major renovations just like the hosts of shows like “Property Brothers,” “Flip or Flop,” or “Fixer Upper.” Dutton encourages all homeowners to enjoy the satisfaction of personalizing your space, but cautions reason. “People see these shows where homeowners are able to do all these things, but they don’t realize their skill level may not be up to the task.” It’s that overreach of ambition that leads to the downfall of many would-be improvements. “I encourage people to do their own projects all the time, but start with the little ones and work your way up to the big ones.”
A recent survey of D-I-Yers finds women are more inclined to admit they goofed, and finds older people are more likely to admit error than younger counterparts.