5 Home Repairs You Should Never DIY (and How Much to Pay for Them)

5 Home Repairs You Should Never DIY (and How Much to Pay for Them)

 

By Ray Flynn diyguys.net

 

Whether you’re confident with your DIY skills or you’re a total beginner, when you see someone online tackle a home project, it’s easy to think you can handle the same job on your own. In most cases, you are absolutely right, and you should go right ahead with your DIY project. However, there are certain jobs that should never be tackled by anyone but a certified professional, and it pays to know which ones to hire and how much you should expect to pay.

 

How Will I Pay for Everything?

 

When you know you have a big home update looming, it’s important to have a plan for paying for the work. If you haven’t built enough equity in your home to cover the cost of a major renovation, a cash-out refinance loan may be a good option. This allows you to replace the mortgage you currently have with a new loan which, although has a higher balance to pay off, often provides more favorable terms to homeowners, and pays you the difference between your old mortgage and new loan in cash. If you’ve lived in your home for a long time, a home equity line of credit (HELOC) could also give you the funds you need for current and ongoing repairs by giving you the cash value of the equity you’ve built into your home. If you’re not sure the best way to pay for your home repairs, talk with your financial advisor about your best options.

 

Junk Haulers

 

Most people do not think that they’ll need someone to haul away big items until they’re faced with actually with the task. If you have old carpeting, worn-out mattresses, broken appliances, or any oversized items that require a bit of effort to remove, then bring in a team of professional junk haulers to tackle the problem for you. As with hiring any contractors or pros, you need to make sure you’re bringing in the best of the best. So, make sure you do some research and check out online reviews before you select a team.

 

Average Cost of a Pro in Lexington: $293, though this price can vary.

 

Electrical 

 

Most people are intimidated by electrical work, and rightly so; the electrical in a house is a complex and dangerous system. There are three main reasons you should never DIY electrical: it’s a breach of code (meaning you’re not covered for any damage), you don’t have the expertise to predict any problems, and it’s simply dangerous. 

 

Tinkering with electricity without knowing what you’re doing can damage your home’s electricity, but it can also have far more devastating effects, including fire and electrocution. This extends even to basic electrical work, like installing a new light fixture.

 

Average Cost for a Pro: $300 for a service call.  

 

Removing Dangerous Chemicals

 

There are often dangerous chemicals present in the home, especially older houses. There are either hazardous construction materials or substances that have developed with time. Lead, asbestos, and mold are the most common, and all of them require professionals to remove safely. The reasons for this are pretty self-explanatory — you just don’t have the equipment or knowledge to do the job without endangering yourself. 

 

Average Cost for a Pro: Asbestos removal ranges between $1,500 for a small project and $30,000 for a full house; lead paint removal averages $488; mold remediation averages anywhere from $500 to $6,000. Of course, these prices will vary depending on location and contractor.

 

Tearing Down Walls

 

It feels like demolition work should be easy. You pick up a sledgehammer, and then have some fun tearing the wall down. Of course, it’s a lot more complicated and dangerous than that. 

 

Demolition is dangerous work. It requires specific tools, and things can go wrong very easily. Also, you need to be 100 percent sure that you won’t be affecting the home’s structural integrity and that you won’t damage any pipes or electrical lines. A professional will know how to navigate these difficulties and keep everyone safe.

 

Average Cost for a Pro: $2,500 to $3,000 for a non-load-bearing wall; up to $10,000 for load-bearing. Again, prices vary depending on your home.

 

Plumbing

 

If you hate the idea of calling a plumber because you think they’re too expensive, take a second to ask yourself why that might be. It’s not some big plumbing conspiracy — plumbing is a complex job that requires specific skills and that affects the basic functioning of all modern homes. That’s what you’re paying for when you get a pro. Try to tackle plumbing by yourself, and you’ll probably end up with an expensive mess on your hands. 

 

The list of things that could go wrong from a bad plumbing job includes mold, water damage, scalding water, higher water bills, and the particularly disturbing case of sewage leaking into your home. Call a reliable plumber, pay what you need to pay, and avoid having to explain to your family why the house is flooded with dirty water. 

 

Average Cost for a Pro: $45 to $150 average hourly rate, plus service call fee of $75 to $150.

 

These are just four common examples of jobs you shouldn’t attempt to DIY, but there are others. Before you commit to a DIY project, have a plan for financing it, research it intensively, and make sure you’re not doing something dangerous or illegal. If in doubt, hire a pro: the money you’ll spend repairing a botched job will be greater than the cost of getting the work done well in the first place.