Too many people are afraid of doing a job themselves...I was. It's starting the first step in a home project that is not reversible or very expensive to fix if you mess it up that creates the fear. I found that after doing a little research through my friends that are "handy men or women", reading the free literature on the Internet, and building my confidence, it's not that hard.
I have now done four projects that I am happy with, all and all.
1. Built my own fence. After buying all my materials, and "man tools" at Home Depot and Lowes, the difference in the cost of me doing it compared to the cost I would have paid a professional to do it was a savings of $1800. I replace my typical home builder's special and cheap would fence with wood posts that blew down twice in the 2 years I was there before I built my own with metal posts. Savings=$1800
2. Patio slab was my next project. I had the typical "builders special" 10 foot by 10 foot cement slab right outside my back door. My opinion is that Frisco Builders, because of their ability to do things so cheap during the high demand the majority of Frisco was built, should be embarrassed with the tiny little patio slabs they put in. My, the wife, and friends and family that would sit out on the patio to visit would have to all sit bunched together with no room side by side. So I built a nice addition to that of at least 20 by 15 square feet that almost triples the size. My best friend and I hired day labor at the local convenient store to help us dig out the dirt where it would go, and put in the wood forms that would hold the design of the new slab. I bought a skill saw, extra shovels, and other tools needed to cut wood, move dirt, level, and all that applies. I hired a construction company to deliver in a cement truck all the cement I needed for the project. I hired a "finisher" (finisher=person that floats and moves the cement around in the forms and forth). I bought and put in all the rebar and rebar stands...more than what a typical patio would need for such a project, and therefore making it even more strong. I was quoted up to $2300 for a professional company to do from start to finish, and after buying all the man tools, supplies, hiring the aforementioned help is cost me $800...and like the fence project, I get to keep all the tools I bought for the project for future use. Savings=$500
3. The last project was wood floors in my home office, living room, and master bedroom...over $550 square feet. I have replace my old carpet with Hickery Wood Scraped engineer wood flooring that looks awesome. I was quote by Lowes for purchase of the flooring and labor, estimated $6000. After buying the tools I needed, the wood flooring at $1,716 total, and the leveling compound to make sure that the wood is on a flat surface, I spend around $3,000. Savings=$3,000
4. Painting the exterior of my home was quoted to me at $1200. We bought the paint, and brushes for like $300. I borrowed a high pressure washer that I could have rented at L for under $100 and bam, another huge savings. Savings=$900
Total savings=$6,200
Experience and knowledge about home projects, upkeep of typical home amenities=PRICELESS!!!
I'm sure I left out some details in costs and so forth, but I did track the actual costs and may not of itemized them all to perfect detail above, but point made I think.
Patio was before I painted the house, so the picture above with the side of the house isn't after the paint job.
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