Do it yourself Craze Hits Home Owners
(Whether you are preparing to sell your home in the slowing market, or if you just want to make some general repairs, it seems as though the do-it-yourself mentality is sweeping the nation. )
Spawned by an increase of home improvement and repair shows on many cable networks, everyone seems to embody the spirit of their local handyman.
No matter what the job, the American public now thinks they can handle it, and many are doing a pretty impressive job.
A September 17, 2006 article by Marty Graham of The Los Angeles Times, “Our fix-it fixation,” looks at how a growing number of Americans are joining in on the new trend in do-it-yourself repairs and general maintenance.
The craze spans from simple repairs to huge home improvement projects that would traditionally take a crew of men. There are not only many new shows cropping up that feature tips on DIY projects, but there are countless websites and books devoted to this topic as well.
Just go down to your local hardware store on the weekend, and you will surely find some sort of workshop teaching the masses how to install a faucet or add detail to their doors.
“Change a switch? Install a fan? Pack spackle? Almost anyone can do it. ‘There's a lot of stuff you can do yourself, and there's a lot of good help out there to show you how,’ said Lou Manfredini, Ace Hardware's do-it-yourself advocate and a former licensed contractor who works on his family's suburban Chicago house. ‘No disrespect to the fine contractors and handymen out there, but you can save so much money — the cost is mostly labor.’”
Experts suggest starting with small, easy projects and then working your way up to the bigger projects more slowly. This will help to build confidence.
One of the main reasons why so many people are into doing these tasks themselves is because it saves a lot of money as opposed to hiring a contractor or handyman.
“Homeowners spent an estimated $155 billion on home improvements and repairs during the last four quarters, up 2.8% from the year before, according to Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. That included do-it-yourself projects that some experts estimate would have cost consumers about six times as much to have someone else do.”
According to the article the most popular DIY projects include painting, minor plumbing projects and landscaping.
If you decide to do a job yourself as opposed to hiring someone to do it for you, there are some very important things to keep in mind.
“Thinking through a job and doing the prep work are critical to succeeding. Some home-repair enthusiasts lay the parts out and study how they fit together before anything is taken apart. Others consider what can go wrong, buy extra parts beforehand and return them after the job is done. Researching the project, rounding up the right tools and thinking about safety precautions will produce the best results, the experts say.”
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