Guidelines for Do-it-yourself Jobs | |
Jobs to Do Yourself - Projects with inexpensive materials and tools like painting, sealing a driveway - Projects that involve "grunt" work (more sweat than brains) like removing paint, wallpaper, tiles, or old carpeting - Labor-intensive, low-skilled jobs like yard maintenance and landscaping - Projects that are too small for a contractor like patching wall holes, repairing a broken screen - Jobs that pay back in energy savings like adding attic insulation, weatherstripping around doors, caulking windows - Projects that improve your lifestyle with conveniences like closet shelving, easy-to clean tile, or a ceiling fan Jobs to Hire Out - Projects with electrical, plumbing, or foundation work must pass local building codes so hire a licensed professional who knows what's required - Projects that require expensive specialized tools like a floor sander, scaffolding - Projects with expensive building materials like custom-painted tile or high-end carpeting or wall covering - For projects that change the exterior of the house or rework the interior floor plan, hire a professional designer Pointers for Hiring a Contractor - Ask for customer referrals where they did work similar to your project. Call and check them out! - Ask if they are licensed and bonded to cover working in your house and protected if they are injured while on the job there - Choose someone you feel comfortable having around your house - Plan ahead - figure it takes at least 1 month to interview contractors and several more for them to schedule the work - Show and tell the contractor what you want using pictures from a magazine or book. - Get it in writing - insist on a detailed contract specifying materials used, a completion date and a 3-part pay out schedule i.e. 1/3 paid up-front, 1/3 when approved by building inspector, 1/3 when you're satisfied with completion - Designate someone who can be reached by phone during the day as the contact person in case a question comes up during the job. Written by the editors of HouseNet Copyright HouseNet, Inc. |