Knowing when to DIY

Several years ago, a TV show came on the air that would change our society. Yep, you guessed it,Trading Spaces on TLC. Ok, so it wasn’t necessarily a ground breaking program, but looking back I believe it was the start of the real DIY movement in America.

People watched as small budgets and a single day transformed a room or an entire backyard into a magical getaway. People rushed out in droves to their local home improvement stores to grab power tools and lumber and paint to spruce up their dull spaces. What they forgot to mention is that most people are not handy by nature and even worse, have no concept of what “looks good”.

Throwing caution to the wind, John Q. Homeowner was now a self proclaimed master of trades. From small plumbing jobs to painting the kids room, we Americans were sure feeling pretty handy. Unfortunately, besides the lack of real skills or perspective, no one drew a line. Suddenly people began taking on large projects and getting in way too deep. Buying entire houses to “flip” and ending up with nothing but regret and confusion as to where they went wrong.

Truth is some folks just aren’t handy. No matter how many episodes of This Old House, Holmes on Homes, Love it or List it, or whatever the next craze should be, certain projects take skill. However being a man comes with a certain inability to realize this until it’s too late. I know I’ve certainly started projects without really thinking them through. As I Type I’m looking at a half finished basement I’ve really been meaning to get to…but I digress.

Point is that the effort and money spent on trying to “Do-It-Yourself” can sometimes be much more than just hiring someone to do it right. Sure, there’s a certain pride in rolling up your sleeves and diving in, but there’s a much more satisfying feeling that comes with having a project completed. The latter also comes with a much happier wife.

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