You see all those do-it-yourself shows on TV and foolishly think you can do it yourself. Porch.com research found the average American homeowner has nine DIY jobs that need to get done. More than half of homeowners try to DIY home projects, rather than call a professional.
Home Advisor’s expert Dan DiClerico said for a DIY project to make sense you need to have time, tools and talent to get it done.
“For bigger projects, listen I love a middle ground. Maybe do some of the work yourself. Maybe some of the demo. Maybe the finished painting. But leave the more complicated installations to the professionals,” said DiClerico.
He said remodeling projects get complicated in a hurry. “They’re great for inspiration, not so much information. They can make things seem a lot easier and less expensive, a lot of these projects than they are in reality,” said DiClerico
He said you can probably easily do energy saving jobs like caulking, window sealing and changing air filters.
DiClerico advises to always call a professional for electrical work.
Other stats the study found:
- 32 percent of homeowners have been putting off at least one home improvement job for 12 months or more
- 57 percent of homeowners feeling their home was still a “work in progress.”
- 10 percent of homeowners felt they were completely on top of their home maintenance tasks.