I hope you all are doing great this week! My family and I are in the midst of a first floor renovation, whilst caring for my wife as she continues to recover from her broken ankle, as I mentioned in my last post. So, I am grateful to have guest blogger, Seth Murphy, who wrote this article for the Cleveland Appraisal Blog.
Going through a major renovation helps me to appreciate some of the great points made here.
I hope that you find his article beneficial. Enjoy!
4 Home Repairs You Need to Hand Over to a Professional
DIY home repairs can be very rewarding – both when it comes to saving money and the sense of success you feel as you transform your home into a dream space. Choose the wrong projects, however, and your time and efforts will go down the drain – not to mention that you’ll end up paying someone over again to redo the work. Unfortunately, some home improvements can also be dangerous for homeowners, so before you start DIYing, it’s better to figure out which project you can do on your own and which you should hand to a professional. Here are a few repairs you should pay an expert to make.
Removing a Wall
Removing a wall might appear like a simple demolition project but proceeding with it without enough experience and skill can end up doing significant damage to your home. Numerous plumbing pipes and electrical wires behind the wall can destroy the house entirely if damaged even slightly; also, if the wall happens to be load-bearing, you could shatter your home’s foundation. Rather than performing the wall removal on your own, consider hiring an experienced contractor as they can show you how to determine which wall is load-bearing, identify and mark studs, and remove drywall without destroying anything behind it. Overall, the cost of removing a wall averages between $500 and $2,000, and even though it might seem expensive, the price is somewhat acceptable since there’s so much risk involved.
Repairing the Roof
Roof damage is common and expensive to redo, so many homeowners try to repair it by themselves. However, that can be dangerous, costly, and you also risk burns from getting in contact with volatile chemicals and tars, which will prompt you to create further damage to the roof. In addition, if you choose the wrong materials, you could end up with broken pipes, leaky ceilings, or cracked walls. If your home needs a roof repair, enlist a professional with roofing experience and use a solid ladder with firm footing. This project can cost anywhere from $300 to $1,400, depending on what kind of damage the roof has and what repairs it needs. A roof improvement can also raise the home’s appraisal value if you ever decide to sell in the future. However, to ensure that the project will increase your home’s market value, ask for advice and expertise from an expert like Jamie Owen from Cleveland Appraisal Blog.
Tackling Electrical Projects
Electrical projects can vary from simple and somewhat safe to complex and extremely dangerous. While you could start small and stay safe, it’s all too easy for most people to unwillingly take on more than they can handle – an apparently simple electrical project can go south fast, with dangers that include electrocution, building code violations, electrical fires, and expensive redos. For more significant electrical projects, you should loop in a professional with experience and get a permit. The average cost of electrical work depends on the difficulty of the job; if you need them to perform smaller jobs like installing or repairing light fixtures, outlets, etc., the price ranges between $140 to $419. If the job is bigger, such as upgrading an electrical panel, wiring, etc., you may pay around $1,100 and $6,000+.
Pest Control
As per the National Pest Management Association, pests like termites create more than $5 billion of damage to people’s homes every year. However, termites aren’t the only culprits – spiders, rodents, and cockroaches can also ravage our homes unless we call in professionals. There are numerous advantages to hiring pest control services over trying to do the job yourself: guaranteed pest-free home, safe products, saved time, etc.
For instance, if you have a mice problem, look online for an ‘exterminator near me for mice‘ or ‘mice exterminators in my area’ to find a company that can help you get rid of the rodents as quickly as possible. Before hiring a professional pest control company, you should request a quote and let the professionals know your problem. Also, make sure to check the reviews, prices, and what kind of products they are using. The cost of an extermination job can range from $250 to $400 but if it seems too much, look for a company in your area that offers deals or credits.
The Bottom Line
If your home needs some DIY improvements or repairs, rather than biting off more than you can chew, make sure you know which projects you can do on your own and which you should hand over to a professional. This way, you’ll save money, time and avoid possible issues.
Jamie Owen from Cleveland Appraisal Blog is the expert you want to contact when you need to know whether the improvements you made will increase the value of your home. Call Jamie at (440)717-3464 or (440)263-7888 for more information.
[Image Source: Unsplash]
Thanks again to Seth Murphy of papadiy.com, for writing this article.
I hope that you found the information and links in his article to be helpful! I can attest to the importance of getting an expert for some of these repairs. Part of the renovations my wife and I are making right now, include removing several walls, one of which is load bearing. That’s why we hired a contractor who know how to remove a wall, while keeping the structural integrity of a home intact.
I hope that you all enjoy the next two weeks of summer weather. Thanks as always for being here! I appreciate you all very much! I’ll be back in two weeks with another blog that I am working on.
Have a great weekend everyone!
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I am a member of the National Association of Appraisers. If you’re an appraiser, and you’re looking to join an appraisal organization, please check them out. The NAA is made up of fantastic appraisers from across the country who are working hard to keep their fellow appraisers up to date on what’s happening.
Click here to visit their website.
Here are some links to other articles I’ve enjoyed recently! I hope you will also…
There Is No Housing Sympathy For the Devil – Housing Notes by Jonathan Miller
Does it need a closet to be a bedroom? – Sacramento Appraisal Blog
6 Random Thoughts From An Appraiser – Birmingham Appraisal Blog
Appraisal Client Relationships are Very Important – APPRAISAL TODAY
It’s important to know – thanks! I would also not recommend doing HVAC work on your own. Repairing and servicing an HVAC system can require many protective tools that are not always readily available in a typical household. If not done carefully, this might result in a variety of injuries. Hiring a professional HVAC specialist can help you avoid this danger and stay safe and secure.
You’re absolutely right. When your furnace pilot light turns yellow, or the burner flame is yellow instead of blue, and you hear strange noises from your furnace are sure signs that you need a professional.