When to DIY, subcontract or hire a pro for your remodeling project.

Should You DIY, Contract It Yourself Or Hire A Design-Build-Remodeling Firm?

This article is part one of three and looks at your options and defines when a DIY project makes sense.

Today, with the popularity of networks like HGTV and DIY, and websites like Houzz, homeowners are becoming educated when it comes to remodeling. Many have specific ideas of what they want, from aesthetic improvements to changing the flow or improving the functionality of their home.

When it comes to home remodeling, you have three approaches to consider. You can do-it-yourself (DIY), contract-it-yourself (CIY), or hire a design-build-remodel professional. Your final decision rests on several factors, including how handy you are, the scope of the work, and your experience level. Of course, some projects are great DIY weekend projects, while others are best left to the professionals like Design-Build-Remodelers.

Below, we will look at some of the types of projects that lend themselves to a DIY approach. In part two of this series, we will look at CIY opportunities, and part three will discuss when working with a design-build-remodel professional makes sense for more complicated remodeling projects. Part three, the final article in the series, has a home repair and remodeling spreadsheet where projects categorized as either DIY, CIY, or Design-Build-Remodel. This chart is perfect for homeowners who, at a glance, can see whether to take on a home improvement or remodeling project themselves or with professional help.

First Step: Define the Scope of Work and Make A Plan

The first step in planning your project is to define the scope of work. Start by taking a comprehensive look at everything you'd like to accomplish while taking into account your available time if you'll be doing the work, the costs involved, including specialized tools and equipment rentals, and the timeframe for completing the project.

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For larger projects, like a three-season porch, you'll want someone to inspect your home and check the systems. It's often worth it to bring in a professional to look at the overall project and plan strategically. A design-builder has the experience to figure out the scope of work, break down how to phase the job, and strategize. They can assist with any design changes, and present a proposal and a bid. They can also let you know if a problem requires an urgent response, or can wait.

For some projects, like paving a driveway, installing a hot tub or replacing a roof, it might make more sense to contract it yourself. You should contract it yourself if the job requires a license, specialized equipment, takes a team, or requires specific knowledge.

Your Role in the Process

Whether you're swinging the hammer yourself, contracting it out to achieve your vision, or engaging a professional design-build-remodel contractor, you need to assume an active role in the process.

If you have the experience, the energy, and the desire, you can physically do the work. DIY is a great way to put your personal touch on your home, whether it's painting, installing wood laminate flooring, or finishing your basement. You'll save quite a bit of money, and you can put your savings toward higher-end finishes or must-have items.

Performing the "contractor" role will be a bit less of a hands-on, but you will still be involved on several creative levels. Whether you're creating the design or working with an architect, you will be supplying the artistic vision as the homeowner. You can take an active role in sourcing materials, whether it's discovering custom tile for the backsplash, choosing the slab for your natural stone countertops, or hunting down the perfect antique mirror for your new master bathroom.

Contract it yourself jobs tend to be less complicated. For example, painting the exterior or installing a hardwood floor are jobs best left to professionals and require contracting a painter or flooring contractor. For more complex tasks that may require multiple tradespeople, you should consider hiring a design-build-remodel professional. For example, remodeling your kitchen is a job best handled by a design-build contractor. Building permits, great design, required electrical work, and other associated trades demand a professional for a job done right.

What follows is the first article in a three-article series. This series provides recommendations, examples, and a spreadsheet of DIY, CIY, and projects best suited to Design-Build-Remodel professionals.

Easy Do-It-Yourself Upgrades

Whether you have experience or are a DIY novice, there are plenty of projects around the house that are ideally suited for the handy homeowner of any skill level. Cosmetically, there are plenty of simple, low-cost ways to improve your home's style, from freshening up space with a new coat of paint to adding accessories and design elements.

Here are several easy DIY upgrades that the typical homeowner can accomplish easily, economically, and quickly.

selecting the right paint color and replacing the flooring can be diy projects.

Painting Walls

Painting is one of the easiest ways to give your space an aesthetic upgrade. It's not always fast or easy, but a simple coat of paint can completely change the feel of a space. Taking the time to prep is the key to a professional job. Use painters tape and use trending colors like neutrals to give your home a crisp new look.

Design Upgrades: Fixtures, Mirrors, and Accessories

Much like painting, changing fixtures, adding accessories, and replacing appliances are an easy, and sometimes an inexpensive way to upgrade the look and functionality of your home. Sometimes even freshening up the decorating can transform your space without requiring a complicated and expensive remodel. Changing out fixtures like lights, faucets, or replacing dated appliances can completely change the look and feel of a room.

If your cabinets don't have knobs or handles, you can install them yourself with careful measurements, a template, and a sharp set of drill bits. Precision is what sets apart an average job from professional results, so take your time and take care to achieve your goals!

Upgrade Your Space With Quality Laminate Flooring

Flooring isn't typically a DIY project; however, installing laminate flooring can be accomplished by a "DIYer" with a minimum of experience. If you can make clean saw cuts, and have about a full day for each room that needs flooring, laminate flooring is a great weekend project.

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Installing flooring yourself can save you a lot of money and is a great way to give any room a facelift. Be sure to stagger the boards and run them vertically with the broadest part of the room. Quality laminate is relatively affordable, with a variety of quality levels and price points. You might also upgrade to an engineered wood floor, which even stands up to a couple of rounds of screening or refinishing, meaning that you'll enjoy beautiful floors for years to come.

The work that will set apart a DIY job compared to a professional job is to install base shoe moulding around the baseboard after you are done with the new floor. Remember that laminate and engineered flooring requires expansion gaps at the perimeter, so the base shoe is needed. And be sure to ask for "base shoe," not "quarter-round," because those two trims have different profiles. Quarter-round is the wrong trim to use, and base shoe is what the professionals install.

this 1990s home received a beautiful and functional makeover with new mudroom built-ins as well as new built-ins around the fireplace.

Customizing Your Home With Built-In's

Adding built-in's to your home is a project that straddles the line between DIY and working with a design-build-remodel professional. If you have some DIY experience, today, there is a selection of manufactured furniture, shelving, cabinetry, and other such products available to customize your home. Creating built-ins for an entertainment center, window seat, mudroom, or other spaces can be a dramatic improvement. Many homeowners can accomplish these projects themselves using off the shelf furniture and shelving kits that can be purchased online or from big-box retailers. On the other hand, if you are looking for something truly custom, with higher quality materials than is available from Wayfair, Houzz, or Ikea, then you will want a remodeling professional to be involved in helping create the look that you will love.

Coming Up In The Next Two Articles

This is the DIY section of our three-part series. Article two of three, CIY or Contract-It-Yourself, is next up. This article will help you understand when it makes sense to contract out your remodeling project. Blog three of three covers projects best left to design-build-remodel firms due to their complexity. Article three will also have an easy to understand spreadsheet that outlines which projects are DIY, CIY, or Design-Build-Remodel.

If you're planning a remodeling project, or just want to explore the possibilities, give our award-winning design team a call at (608) 846-5963. We're always happy to talk to you about our process, and explore the possibilities!

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An Above the Garage Master Suite Addition Remodeling Project

We recently completed an addition for our clients, John and Amy, a professional couple with young children living in the Blooming Meadows neighborhood in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Their home featured three bedrooms on the second floor. The existing master bedroom was outdated and impractical for modern living, and with three young children, two needed to share one of the two remaining bedrooms, and all three kids shared the second-floor bathroom. Another problem the family needed addressed was that John needed a private home office, and the one they currently had was a shared space that did not work well for his job.

Let's take a look at our creative solution for this young family!

A New Private Bathroom for the Adults!

One of the major elements on John and Amy's wish list was a private bathroom space just for them. They wanted plenty of space to get ready in the morning, away from the kids, and we delivered! The bathroom features a handcrafted Amish custom double vanity with a tower cabinet in alder wood, stained Carbon Gray. The contrasting Linnstone Quartz Calcutta pattern countertop brightens the space and ties in visually with the elegant tile work in the spacious walk-in shower. We added custom alder wood framed mirrors stained in the same Carbon Gray as the cabinets to complete the vanity. Over each of the mirrors, we installed Quoizel 2 light vanity fixtures to provide plenty of warm light.

In the shower, the 21st Century Tile 12x24 floor-to-ceiling tiles in Tivoli Silver give the room a bright and modern feel, and the low entry shower makes entering the shower safe and easy for the couple. We included a helpful niche in the shower for shampoo and other toiletries and, for contrast, used a beautiful hexagon mosaic accent tile. The glass doors give the space an open feel, making it bright and inviting. The Arbor Hills luxury vinyl plank flooring in timber adds a warm feel, giving the room a natural look with the benefit of waterproof LVP.

The Result

The final result of this second-floor master suite addition is a home that fits John, Amy, and the kid's needs and lifestyle perfectly. John now has the perfect private office space. Since John and Amy now have their private master suite, and each of the kids has their own bedroom giving them their own space to grow as they grow, their home is more comfortable and functional. And on the exterior, you can't even tell there's been an addition!

Are you considering an addition or other home improvement project? Let us help you design the perfect finished space! If you live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. We can take your home to the next level of comfort, design, and function! Ready to learn more? We're always happy to answer your questions.