The Do-It-Yourself Way

Most of us believe that if you DIY a certain work, you save a lot because you do not need to pay someone for doing the job. But fact is DIY works are often times costs you more than you think! Especially for those who are doing things first time. Here are some points we usually don't realize;

LEVELS OF DIY

We will consider the very simple work like changing a lightbulb to some complex works like making your own furniture, to building your own house, etc. There are things that can be done by almost anyone by just following very few steps, using simple tools and few common materials. Generally, by common sense, we can determine if a work is getting too complicated. This is the time that we tend to think twice if DIY is still an option. Sure then we can insist in pursuing DIY, but you should understand the risks and ready to face the consequences.

LEVEL OF QUALITY

Admit it. Not all of us are born gifted craftsman. I cant remember I've known someone doing an excellent job in their first attempt. Of course, this is not impossible to achieve. But we're talking about majority situation. We may be satisfied with the quality of our DIY projects, but comparing it to the works of someone who has a career for it, we can see the big difference. So what makes the difference?


(1) It's his career. He has done this so many times before that he may already mastered the art of it.
(2) Chances are, he has better tools or more so, he handles his tools more efficiently.
(3) Because of his experience, he probably has better techniques and developed shortcut processes. He knows how to handle troubles during the process. And thus minimizing wastage in materials and efforts.
(4) Assurance. You will feel assured because the work is done by an expert.


Well, if quality is not an issue for you since your project serves its purpose well as you expected, then it might be a success.


A DIYer's Nightmares!

(1) You did it all wrong. You wasted money and effort.
(2) You need to repeat because somewhere along the process you got mistakes.
(3) You got lost in following the step by step guide
(4) You already have the materials you need but you don't have the tools needed and/or the space you need to do your works.
(5) You did it! but everyone is mocking you because it didn't look great.

Tips on going DIY.

(1) Make a lot of research. Gathering as many information as you can may give you a huge chance of success in your project.
(2) Plan your work. After you have gathered enough research, next is to make a plan  or review a suggested step by step procedure. This will minimize possible errors.
(3) Make sure you have all you need. Remember, once you started your project, there's no turning back, otherwise, you will be wasting everything. If you found out that something is missing in the middle of the game and you can't find it due to some availability issue, then it might be an early game over!
(4) Make a simple practicality test. Sometimes, we are forced to buy something in bulk because it's a standard market retail but we only need just a small portion of it. So it's so frustrating. You don't even know if you can still use the rest in the future or maybe resell it. Check your manhour rate and compare it to the one you can hire to do the job. If you're a pro or a manager, most probably, your rate per hour is much higher.
(5) Look for reference project. Someone might have already done your project before. You can ask him for advise or even ask for his help.
(6) Make time. DIY projects consumes more of your time. Be sure you have enough time to spare for the project.
(7) Patience. All DIY projects needs a lot of patience.

Benefits of DIY

(1) Self fulfilling. Even if you ended up spending more, and a lot of reworks, the feeling after you finish the project compensates.
(2) You gain experience. If you need to do it again, you are now much confident and probably you can do better, faster and cheaper.
(3) You know your project very well. Once there is trouble, you can fix it by yourself and won't need to wait till the serviceman arrives.
(4) You can brag. You can show the world that you did something not ordinary just by yourself.

For me DIY is not that bad at all. In fact,  I'm a DIYer myself and have finished several DIY projects myself. What's important is to know your capacity, understand the risks and be determined to do the project.

If by going DIY, you are compromising your safety, better just hire the right man for the right job!