Do you really Need a Contractor?
14 October 2006
Should you take on your remodeling or home repair project yourself? Or should you hire an home improvement contractor to be the expert on the job?Well, it all depends. To answer this question, you'll need to ask three more questions:
- Do I have the money?
- Do I have the time?
- Do I have the skills?
Do I have the money?
A big factor in any home improvement or repair is whether or not you can afford to hire a professional to do the work or, at least, help with the job. Paying for labor can add to the cost of any project, sometimes doubling it. Right? Like the answer to so many questions - it depends...
It's possible you might have to spend even more money by not hiring a contractor or subcontractor. If you do a project yourself, you might have to buy or rent tools to get the job done. And you could spend a lot more buying building materials. Many contractors get special deals for buying in bulk or have built up relationships with many suppliers. You might be paying retail while your contractor is buying wholesale. Finally, if your skill level is not up to par, and you have to pay a contractor to come out and fix your mistakes, your costs could shoot through the roof (that you just tried to replace!)
Always consider money when taking on a remodeling or do-it-yourself project. Without access to proper tools, special discounts, or how-to knowledge, you might need a pro to come in and do the job. If it's a simple project and you have the tools and the skills, then hiring someone else to do it could be the wrong move.
Unless...
