Many strive for homeownership. While renting is a great short-term solution for a living situation, owning a home provides several additional benefits. A home that you own can be customized to suit your needs more than a rental space. Your mortgage payments also build equity in the home that can benefit you if you refinance or sell the home.
Another advantage that homeownership has over renting is the ability to invest in home improvement. Renters can rarely make significant changes to the living space, whereas homeowners can take on big construction projects and renovations if they like.
In the interest of saving money on labor or simply for satisfaction, many property owners choose to follow a do-it-yourself process (DIY). DIY home improvements have become a massive industry, especially in the last several years, but there are right and wrong ways to go about it. Let’s discuss how you can be a better DIYer for your Tennessee home.
Keep Track of the Inspection Report
While big projects that you tackle to improve the property can be the most exciting, ongoing maintenance is a necessity for preserving the home. These projects may not be as glorious as building a deck or remodeling a bathroom, but they are nonetheless crucial. When you bought the home, there was an inspection conducted to determine any flaws or maintenance concerns. This report should become an important document to keep track of if you want to keep your home safe and functioning. Consult the inspection report so you know what issues were discovered before move-in or potential problems that may arise soon.
Take Construction Courses
Education is the most important element for being a successful DIYer. Learning about the ins and outs of construction and how things in your homework can add valuable skills to your arsenal. While there are plenty of free resources, such as Youtube tutorials and online courses, your best bet may be to invest a little money into obtaining a Tennessee contractor’s license. Not only will this teach you the necessary skills you are seeking to become a better DIYer, but you can also turn it into a side business and source of additional income. There are many types of contractor skills, so you can either specialize or try to learn as many diverse trades as you like.
Join DIY Communities
As mentioned previously, the DIY home improvement industry has grown very fast recently, especially due to the pandemic. People who were forced to isolate at home quickly discovered that they wanted to improve their living situations. Getting connected with others who have DIY experience can be a valuable method for learning about this subject. Social media provide many opportunities for this objective, with public and private groups being a popular choice for aspiring DIYers. You can also follow influencers and DIY personalities to see what their tips and tricks of the trade are.
Build Confidence Over Time
One of the biggest obstacles to becoming a DIY expert is often confidence. If you lack the knowledge or experience, it can be overwhelming to attempt projects of a particular scale. Gaining confidence in your DIY abilities is the first step, and the best way to do so is to start with small projects. Try painting a single room, or fixing a broken baluster on your stairway. Then graduate up to repairing small faucet leaks or lighting fixtures. With each small project, your confidence and knowledge will grow, making it easier to tackle larger improvements or fixes. In no time, you will be saving money on home maintenance and taking on big upgrades.
Invest Time Into Research
Research is critical when becoming a DIY expert. The last thing that you need to happen is a project to go wrong and cost a lot more money because you didn’t know what you were doing. The more complex the project, the more time you should spend on researching how to do it correctly. Building codes in your locality will also be important to have a grasp on if the construction project is larger in scale.
Upgrade Your Toolset
Lastly, a great DIYer needs the right tools to get the job done. Every crafty individual cannot get much done if they do not have the right tools. Every homeowner should have plenty of basic kits whether they enjoy DIY projects or not, but if you are serious about home improvement, you will need a healthy stock of fasteners, power tools, and hand tools. There are many tools a DIYer needs to complete most of their basic projects, so upgrade your toolset so your plans are attainable.
Know When to Contact Professionals
Even if you have a lot of DIY experience under your belt, sometimes it just makes more sense to hire professionals for your Tennessee home project. Complex jobs require a lot of expertise in areas like electricity, plumbing, structural integrity, etc. Though you may have a working knowledge of these elements, combining them all can be challenging. Better to have the project done right by spending a little more money than screwing it up yourself and having to spend even more money on costly repairs.
