Every homeowner loves to take pride in their house.  It’s even greater to brag to your neighbors when you’ve been able to do some of the improvements yourself.  Not only do you show off your skills, you get to boast about how much money you saved.  But before you start breaking out the paintbrush or firing up the circular saw, I’ve put together these “famous last words” uttered by almost every homeowner at some point in time.

“This isn’t dangerous…I watched a guy do it on YouTube.”
If the project involves electricity, heights, knives or power tools, you may want to think twice about doing it yourself.   Over 600,000 people visit hospitals each year due to injuries inflicted doing home improvement projects themselves.  This is not meant to scare you off, but if you aren’t very strict and thorough with regard to safety, one slip on the ladder may ruin a lot more than your clogged gutters.

“Of course I’ll finish this project before the party.”
If bragging about a completed project makes you feel like the Homeowner of the Year, answering questions for months about why that “one piece of crown molding has never been painted”, will make you feel like the slumlord of you own home.  Many times the unfinished project looks worse than the one that was never started.

“I painted my apartment in college…I know how to do this.”
Know your limitations.  This piece of advice is very appropriate for home improvement.   For 99.9% of homeowners, you would never consider replacing a roof, installing new windows or a new furnace.  Maybe tiling a floor, painting a bedroom, fixing a running toilet are the types of projects that you think you can tackle.  However, if you have an issue hanging a picture so that it is level, you may not want to build that custom bookcase.

“We are going to save SOOO much money!
This is probably the number one reason people try to do home improvement projects themselves.   If you are confident and experienced enough to get past the first 3 issues above, there is a good chance you will save money.

“You can’t trust most contractors; they just want to rip you off.”
Every homeowner has had an experience with some type of contractor that left them with a very bad taste.  They show up late (if at all), track mud in your house, never have the parts they need, park in your lawn, leave trash in the driveway, try to sell me something I don’t need, use my bathroom without asking and light up cigarettes in my house.

I spoke with one of Hire it Done’s pre-screened licensed and insured contractors Keith Paul, owner of HandyPro Handyman Services in Plymouth, Michigan.  In his 19 years of running HandyPro, he’s seen it all.  “We get called in on projects at every stage; from the time a project is just being conceived, to rescuing a homeowner from a failed attempt.  We understand that ambition, experience and time don’t always come together as planned.”  I know that HandyPro staffs only experienced professionals all of which are covered with the proper licensing and insurance.  Further, Keith and his staff understand the issues and anxieties that come with home improvement and using a contractor.  “We always give free estimates because the only way a homeowner knows if he will save money doing it themselves, is if they know how much a professional will charge them.  We also know that your time is critical. That’s why we have a One Hour Arrival Time Guarantee.  If we’re late, you get a discount.”

If you are looking for the best contractors, visit www.hireitdone.com and describe your project.  I’ve hand-selected only the best contractors in Southeast Michigan and you can be sure that the only famous last words you will utter will be: “Thanks Adam. Your contractors are the best!”