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When to Hire a Professional

Aug 30, 2017

When you are a home owner, you are responsible for the upkeep of your home. That includes yard maintenance, any wear and tare that may occur, keeping it clean and good condition, and fixing anything that breaks. When things break or you need to preform routine maintenance, you NEED to ask yourself before you undertake any large task when it comes to your home; “Is it worth doing it myself? Do I have the knowledge to do the project or task well?” “How much will it cost for me to do this?” or “Do I  hire a professional?”   Your home is one of the largest investments that you will ever make. Anything that you do needs to increase the value or maintain the value in your home.

“Is it worth doing it myself? Do I have the knowledge and ability to do the project or task well? That is the VERY first question you ask yourself. Why pay someone when you could do it? If you have the knowledge on how to do the task and do the task well, why not do it and only pay for materials (if you have the time). For small tasks, if you have the time, do it. For Example: if you are able to push a lawn mower and hold a rake, you can probably maintain your yard. You just need to have the tools and the time to be able to do it.

“How much will it cost me to do this?” is the second question. What is the difference in cost for this task to be done. How much time and materials will it take for you to complete the task versus a professional. When you do a task yourself, you are paying for materials but have to find the time to do it. And you cannot take forever to do it. Professional help often charges for the cost of materials as well as labor; by hour or by the job.

“Do I hire a professional?”  If the professional is superior in skill and knowledge than you, you hire the professional. Not only is it more time efficient, he is going to do a better job than you will and the task will maintain or increase the value of your home. Why would you ever do anything that would depreciate the value in your home? If you have the skill, but do not have the time, hire a professional. If you do not have the time, the job will never get done. It either is not going to start or it will make it halfway. If you cannot complete the task within 1 month, seek help.

When it comes to the value of your home, please don’t take a chance. Do what is best for the value of your home. Also, please do not hesitate to reach out to a real estate professional for advice about how to increase the value of your home or recommended vendors in your area.