You’ve decided that now is the time to finally undertake that home renovation project you have been dreaming about. Fantastic! You’ve got the vision, now to tackle the job at hand. The question is, can you do it yourself or should you hire a professional? Why hire someone though, if you can do the job yourself?
There are a lot of reasons.
8 Great Reasons to Hire a Professional
- A professional prioritizes the time
- Contractors are knowledgeable about the trade and skilled at the tasks involved
- A general contractor has access to a team of other skilled people to tackle all aspects of the job
- They have the proper tools for the job
- Contractors understand the scope of the job at hand and know what needs to be done and in which order
- As professional tradespeople purchase materials for a living, they often receive discounts not available to the general public
- Professionals carry insurance to protect your property during the job
- When you hire a professional, you also get warranties to protect you
Time
How long will the job take from beginning to end? How much time do you have available to tackle the project yourself? Be realistic. If the project requires more than a few hours, you just might find that a professional is worth the money. Your project is the contractor’s job and they are getting paid to finish it in a timely manner. That means not having to work around kid schedules, a regular work day, or other leisure pursuits.
A good contractor will advise you of the projected time the job should take. Their reputation is riding on that estimate. That means they are going to do their best to complete the job in that time frame. Unlike if you tackle the job yourself and get slowed down by everything that life throws at you along the way.
Knowledge
So you have cleared your schedule and are ready to go. The next question is, where do you start? What does the job entail? Does it matter what order you do certain jobs in? Do you even know how to do all the specific tasks at hand?
Trades people tackle similar jobs day in and day out. They know by experience how long it takes to do certain tasks and what they entail. They also know if additional materials might be required and what issues they might encounter along the way. It is all in a day’s work and their training and experience are valuable assets in getting your job completed in a professional way.
Skill
Along with knowledge comes skill. You can read a book or watch a YouTube video to get an idea of how to handle a job, but the real challenge is having the skill to actually perform the task. By going through training, learning from experts, and repeating a task over and over again, skill is earned. Experience teaches one how to avoid problems in the future and best practices in getting a job done well the first time. Professionals who care about their trade pride themselves on doing their job to the best of their ability and that is reflected in skills that continually grow over time.
That skill alone is worth investing in to ensure your final product is what you are looking for.
Team
Contractors hire a team of skilled workers to ensure all aspects of the job gets completed. For example, a kitchen renovation may include electrical, plumbing, flooring, cabinet and countertop installation. At Revival Home Renovations, we handle every step of the renovation, so you don’t have to hire multiple trades to complete the project.
Did you know that some jobs require a licensed professional to complete certain tasks? Do you know what order those tasks should happen in? We do and we ensure that your entire job gets done in a professional and timely manner, including the use of required licensed professionals, without problem.
Tools
On to the job at hand…
Before you start, make sure you have the right tools for the job. While most people have a certain number of general tools at home, they do not usually include specialized tools for specific jobs. Going out and buying specific tools for a single job can prove to be costly though.
Professionals use a wide variety of tools every day. They often have tool boxes full of specialized equipment, and much of it is better quality than what you might be willing to pay for. As they need to rely on those tools daily for work, it makes sense to invest in quality items specific to their trade. Plus, they know how to use said tools. Going out to buy specialized tools and learning how to use them might not be factored into your original estimate, but it should be!
Materials
Along with tools, you need to consider the materials needed for the job at hand. Do you know what materials you need, and how much of everything you require? Make sure you measure twice and cut once, so you don’t have to go back and buy more if you make a mistake!
Even if you can calculate out exactly what you need, where do you buy your materials? Is it worth it to price shop around? Don’t forget to add the time and gas mileage into your overall calculations for that too.
Of course, if you leave the job to the professionals, they calculate everything they need and do the purchasing for you. Plus, most contractors have special pricing available to them, as they are purchasing supplies on a regular basis. You just might find that overall, the price of materials is cheaper by hiring a professional.
Insurance
Accidents happen. We all know that. That is why professionals have liability insurance and worker’s compensation in place. These protect not only the home owner, but also the contractor and their employees as well.
Warranties
Warranties are the biggest reason to consider hiring a professional. If you do the work yourself and you run into problems, it is on you to fix them. When a professional tackles your home renovation project, they typically warranty the work for a period of time, thereby offering more protection to your investment.
At Revival Home Renovations, there is a 1-year warranty on all labour, and a 5-year warranty on hinges and doors from the Prestige or Thermofoil line. Wood doors have a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty.
If you are a DIY weekend warrior, we applaud you. Plenty of people are extremely handy and can tackle small and even medium sized home reno projects. When it comes to larger projects like full-scale kitchen renovations or remodelling though, sometimes the money spent on a professional actually saves you more than you realize. If you are looking for a quote on a kitchen renovation project, contact Ryan to discuss what he can do for you.