It’s true: small “Do-It-Yourself” updates can make an impact in your home. Not every project requires a comprehensive, professional approach, and you might save some money sourcing the materials and doing the labor yourself… Or, you might not. Unfortunately, for many homeowners, what starts as a small project can turn into a big headache. At a minimum, amateur mistakes can look like an obvious DIY. Even worse, they can add up to extra costs, a longer project timeline, and, in the long run, a room that is not up to code. Here are our tips for DIY Do’s and Don’ts, as well as how to know when to hire a remodeling pro.
DIY Do’s:
Giving the walls a fresh coat of paint
How many times have you watched a house-hunting show and rolled your eyes at buyers who shy away from a home due to ugly or dated paint colors? It’s just paint! A fresh coat of paint is possibly the easiest and least expensive way to give a room a new look. Go slowly, prep the walls thoroughly, use good-quality paint, brushes, and rollers, and you’ll be fine!
Updating Hardware
Adding or replacing cabinet hardware can give your cabinets a chic update. If you can find pulls with hole placement that is the same as your existing pulls, this project will be quick and simple. If you’re needing to drill new holes, make sure to patch any old ones before starting to measure or drill new ones. It’s also important to use a level, like a professional would, to ensure that any non-circular pulls are not crooked.
DIY Maybe’s:
Laying Laminate or LVP flooring
Many handy homeowners who know their way around power tools will have no problem installing LVP flooring. Most flooring jobs also require the detailed work of removing, repairing, and replacing trim. If this sounds like it’s outside of your comfort zone, reach out to a flooring specialist for more information.
Painting or refinishing cabinets
If you have good quality cabinets that are looking a little tired, and you’re not looking to replace floors or countertops, freshening up the cabinet boxes and faces can make a big difference. With proper preparation, the right tools and materials, and careful technique, painting or refinishing your cabinets on your own can turn out well. Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t properly clean the cabinets, fix imperfections, putty holes, or take the time to let the paint or stain dry between coats. An experienced DIY-er can handle this project, but if it feels like a reach, find an experienced cabinet-maker or painter to give your cabinets a professional upgrade. And if you’re looking to do more than just freshen up the cabinet faces, read on to know when you need to bring a contractor on board.
DIY Don’ts:
Upgrading Countertops
Your cabinets and floors are in good shape, and you got new appliances a year ago, but your laminate countertops are an eyesore. Since it’s only one update, there’s no need to hire a contractor to manage this project. A local dealer or a representative at your local big-box hardware store can walk you through this update. They’ll have the knowledge and equipment to expertly measure, cut, move, and install the quartz or granite of your dreams.
New plumbing or Light Fixtures
Plumbers and Electricians are licensed for a reason. Can you watch a YouTube video and replace a faucet on your own? Sure. But improperly done electrical and plumbing work can have disastrous consequences, requiring a costly emergency repair call to a pro (or even a trip to the Emergency Room). Ensuring the work is done safely, correctly, and up-to-code the first time is worth the up-front cost of hiring a professional.
Don’t hesitate - Bring in a remodeling professional:
New Cabinets
What’s the benefit of custom cabinetry? This is not a trick question. Cabinets tailored to your kitchen and bathroom will be the perfect size for the space. You can specify the sizes, depths, placement, and number of drawers or cabinets to give you the flow, function, and order you’ve always wanted. Take it a step further by adding a coffee station or a special cabinet for garbage and recycling bins. Instead of having to choose between a list of available paints and stains, you choose the exact cabinet stain or paint color to coordinate with the other materials in your home. While custom cabinetry can cost slightly more, Serda Remodeling has an experienced cabinet maker who offers a range of options to help you stay within budget. As an added bonus, custom cabinetry will be a selling point for future buyers of your home. And since you’ll also likely have new plumbing and countertops with your custom cabinetry, working with a pro like Freddie Serda is the key to getting this job done efficiently.
Removing Walls
Open-concept living is here to stay. Maybe you’re looking to remove that one wall to bring that open and airy feel to your home. Maybe it’s a load-bearing wall. Maybe it’s not. As a professional contractor, Freddie Serda will make a structural assessment and present a plan to the applicable inspector to remove your wall in a way that ensures the integrity of your home. While it might cost a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to add a beam and strengthen the other load-bearing parts of your home, that up-front money and planning goes a long way to preventing a sagging roof or building collapse. Additionally, your contractor will also be able to expertly sheet-rock, mud, sand, prime, and paint the newly finished space.
Tile (especially bathroom tile)
While tiling a shower or bathroom floor may seem simple enough, there’s a lot that goes into a professional-looking project, from framing and waterproofing, choosing the right grout, and ensuring proper tile layout and straight and even grout lines. The tile experts at Serda Remodeling have been called to fix many DIY tile jobs that have crooked grout lines and tile that is unevenly spaced or - even worse - not level. At worst, some DIY tile jobs are not waterproof due to inadequate prep work or inferior grout, which cause major water damage over time.
Making several updates within one space, or using more than one specialist
Managing a single project is reasonable for the average homeowner. But when you get into multiple projects and pros, it’s time to call in a contractor. Even if they are not completely down to the studs, kitchen and bathroom remodels involving new cabinetry, new countertops, plumbing, lighting, flooring, and other features require the planning and coordination of a professional, and no one can do it better than Freddie Serda. You’ll likely need a permit, multiple inspections, and you’ll need someone to set a schedule coordinating the demolition, plumbing, electrical work, structural modifications, cabinetry, and finishing touches. Professional contractors have skilled and reasonably-priced workers and subcontractors at the ready, saving you the hassle of managing these details.
Keep this in mind: If you’re having trouble getting bids on a project, it may be a sign that it’s something you can do yourself or source out to a single business. Professional contractors will compete on price and timelines to get projects that are worthy of their time and skill. When your project is more than just a cosmetic update, when you’re moving fixtures or walls, and when you’re needing to manage multiple specialties in one cohesive timeline, save yourself the time and stress by hiring a pro.