One of the most important things you can do as a homeowner learns that there are easy home repairs that you can do on your own. Of course, the big stuff you have to leave to the pro’s but if you call in a pro every time you need a home repair you will be driven into bankruptcy before too long.
For example, interior painting is an easy home repair, foundation repair is something you should consider calling in a pro for. You get the idea, there is a balance between what you can do and what you should do when it comes to managing your home.
Learning about easy home repair can help you to save money, take good care of your home, and protect your investment. We are going to talk about how you can cut costs when you do have to hire contractors for the big jobs like basement remodeling or whole home remodeling, and what you can do before you buy the home to protect yourself. We will also look at some easy home repair projects that you can do yourself that is going to save you a bag full of money.
Let’s Start At the Before
A lot of first-time homebuyers wind up in over their heads when they buy their first home. They look at the home and see all the things that they want in a home. The credit score comes back great, and the appraiser approves the home. The new homebuyer thinks they are making a great choice until they move in, and the problems begin.
One of the most important steps you can take in home buying is to have a professional home inspection done before you close. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that if the appraiser for the bank approves the property for a loan then the house must be in good condition.
An appraiser and a home inspector have two very different jobs. The appraiser works for the bank and they are checking to see if the home has the value that it needs for the bank to write the mortgage. A home inspector is there for your benefit. They check all the important systems in a home from the roof to the foundation to ensure everything is in working order.
Those homeowners that have had a home inspection are able to understand fully what they are getting into. The home inspection report can be used as a negotiation tool. Don’t skip this vital step in the home buying process.
Let’s Talk About the Easy Home Repairs
There is a wide range of things that you can do on your own in your home to help keep costs down, and to improve your home. For example, every plumbing problem does not need a plumber. A leaky faucet literally will take a few turns of an adjustable wrench to repair.
Here are some easy home repairs that just about anyone can do:
- Repairing a leaky faucet, changing out the working parts of a toilet, replacing a showerhead, repairing a leaky pipe, installing a new refrigerator, replacing a light switch, replacing a doorbell, replacing flooring
- Interior painting, repairing damage to sheetrock, exterior painting, gutter cleaning, pressure washing decks, and driveways, landscaping activities,
- replacing spindles on handrails, cleaning carpets, and so much more
There are hundreds of things that you can learn to do on your own so that you do not have to call in a professional. Fear is what keeps more people from doing these easy home repairs on their own. Today, there are so many resources online like Youtube that can literally talk you through just about any repair you need to do.
Getting the courage up to make the repairs on your own can be fueled by home pride or budget savings. All you need to do to ensure the success of your repair or project is to have the right tools on hand, and the drive to get it done.
Start With the Small Easy Home Repairs
Start out small if you are new to home repairs. Each project will save you money no matter how small, and build your confidence so that you can move on to the bigger things. For example, changing a lock on a door can cost you about $100. Buying a lock for your door and doing it yourself will cost you about $20.
Painting a small bathroom if this your first time painting can save you about $100 or more. Once you paint the small bathroom you can move on to bigger rooms because you will feel more confident. It can literally cost thousands of dollars to paint the interior of your home, but if you learn to do it yourself you can pocket the savings.
After you freshen up your rooms with a new coat of paint, learn what kind of design elements can help reshape the room. For example, if you have smaller rooms in your house painting an accent wall can create a feeling of more space. Also, hanging mirrors can also create the illusion of a larger space. Consider a farmhouse style mirror on an accent wall to make a room feel bigger.
Start out small and the big things will quickly follow. Build your confidence. It is the smart way to become a DIY pro.
Some Tips for Easy Home Repairs
There are several things that you should do to ensure that your repairs turn out exactly the way you want them too. Invest in quality materials. The money you save on NOT hiring a professional can help you to afford better quality materials.
Buying high-quality materials will be cost-saving over time. Better quality means more durability and a longer life expectancy. Invest in the better grade of materials for all your home repairs, and you will have fewer repairs to make.
Have you ever heard that you should measure twice and cut once? It is an old saying that comes from the carpentry industry, and it may be one of the truest pieces of advice. Measuring accurately is key to success for many home repair projects. Invest in reliable measurement tools so your measurements are always right on.
Know when you are beaten. There are going to be times that things just do not work out as planned. Do not get discouraged but do know when it is time to call in the professional. It is far better to realize that you are way out of your league and call in the pro than it is to suffer the consequences of a repair gone terribly wrong.
You will have to pay the piper for certain jobs to ensure the safety of your family and your home. For example, anything having to do with gas appliances should be left up to the pros. Any type of repair that has to do with your main water supply or your sewer is something you might want to call in a plumber for.
There are many DIY repairs that you will handle wonderfully on your own but always put your home and your family’s safety first. Know when paying the contractor is the better choice.
Get the Tools
As a homeowner one of the most important things that you can invest in to make homeownership less expensive is a good toolbox filled with some of the most common tools. Having the tools on hand that you will need to make easy home repairs will make the entire process easier.
Every homeowner should at minimum own a good hammer, a good screwdriver set, an adjustable wrench set, pipe wrench, needle nose pliers, a power drill, and a set of Allen Keys. Having these basic tools always available will make it easier to jump right in and make repairs.
For special projects it is good to invest in the tools that you will need before you start the project but do not spend too much. Many projects will require a specific tool that you may use only a few times. Don’t waste money on tools that are going to sit in the garage.
If you have the tools that you need, and they make the job easier, you are far more likely to do the job. Stock your toolbox.
Ask For Help
Everyone knows somebody that is handy. Ask for help when you need it. It is far better to pay for lunch than it is to have to worry about where the contractor funding is going to come from. If you cannot find hands on help, don’t be afraid to reach out for some free advice. Remember your goal as a homeowner is to reign in those costs, doing as much of the repairs as you can on your own is going to cut repair costs by more than half. When you hire a contractor you are paying for their expertise. The cost of labor can be as high as three times the cost of the material that is going to be used for the repairs. It can be hard to reach out to people and try to get them to pick up some of the labor but friends and family are usually willing to lend a hand with the big stuff, and the cost savings is enough to where it is worth putting yourself out on a limb and asking.
Do Your Research
The internet is not the only place where you can learn how to do easy home repairs. Many big box home improvement supply stores have clinics on the weekend. You can attend one of the clinics to learn more about plumbing, electrical, and carpentry repairs.
If going to a workshop type clinic is not your thing, community colleges are a great resource to take some classes on the same topics. The more you know the more confident you will be in taking on those home repairs and saving money.
Of course, there is always the internet. There are a tremendous amount of resources that you can easily access by simply typing in your question in the search bar. Try out “how to repair a leaky faucet” and it will pull up 1,000’s of pages worth of information. Do use a trusted source. The last thing you need is to wind up with some bad information.
Saving With Easy Home Repairs Even On The Big Stuff
Once you get a few projects under your belt you may feel more confident about your capabilities but you still will have to hire contractors once and a while. One of the things you can do to save on the big things like a basement remodeling or a bathroom remodel is to do part of the job yourself.
Let’s say that you just got a quote for your basement remodeling for $25,000 but you only really want to spend $20,000. It is time to negotiate and figure out what repairs you can do on your own to cut down the price. Some contractors are not going to be crazy about you taking on some of the work on your own, but others will be willing to work with you.
Some of the ways to cut the fat by doing work yourself on the project would be to do the painting on your own, lay flooring on your own, do the detail work on your own like putting in trim. There are ways to keep the budget down by paying some sweat equity.
You could take the same approach with all your remodeling projects around the house. Landscaping, kitchen remodel, bathroom remodel, whole home remodel, anything that is being done around your house can be done cheaper when you add in some sweat equity.
You Got This
DIY easy home repairs are a lot easier than you think. Once you get started on this journey of doing it yourself you will see the cash flow improve, and feel great about your accomplishments.