DIY or Contractor? Which Increases the Value of Your Home?

It is almost always surprising to me that when I go to visit someone thinking about allowing me to assist with the sale of their home they are always so proud of the things that they have done to fix the place up.  It doesn't matter if it's a simple thing like a new bathroom vanity or a full blown addition.  If the homeowner had a hand in actually completing the project the value it brings to their home skyrockets.

For example, I have a client who is a competent professional.  He's very good at what he does and gets paid well for it.  What he does, though, has nothing whatsoever to do with home improvement.  He is not a carpenter, electrician, plumber, roofer or any of those other great occupations that help keep what is left of the housing industry rolling along.  He is pretty handy and can do a lot of the "homeowner chores" that a lot of people would normally call in the professionals to handle.

Yet, some of his major improvements really do look like  "happy homeowner" jobs. Some of the details are missing, you can see where he "made do" by cobbling things together.  The electrical is a little out of code with visible wiring, some of the plumbing doesn't exactly connect correctly.  You get the picture.

This is in stark contrast to what a professional contractor would do.  Hopefully, if you get someone good and competent, they'll make sure things are done and done right.  Yes, they'll charge you for it and sometimes charge you a lot.  However, when it comes time to sell your home, it'll really show that you cared about how things turned out and, depending on what it is you had done, will actually increase the value of your house.

I'll be the first to admit that there is a lot of satisfaction and sense of achievement in doing something yourself and having it turn out decently.  Unfortunately, you can't take that sense of achievement to the bank.  So, if you're thinking of doing something more than fixing a leaky faucet or painting, please hire a pro to do it.  Because you may just end up paying for them to do it anyway when the time comes to sell your home.