Are you a Handyman or a “Havoc”man?

Unless you’re in the market for a Lamborghini, the most costly single purchase you’ll ever make is that of a house or a condo.
On average, you can expect to cough up $173,000 to buy a home, according to the latest figures from the National Association of Realtors. That cost shoots up to $244,000 if you happen to be shopping for real estate in the Northeast region. And that doesn’t even factor in interest rates.
Those types of figures can make the decision of what to do in the case of home repair a bit challenging.  Do you hire a handyman to fix that leaky faucet or save a few bucks by doing it yourself? Do you take on a major painting project or hire someone who has been doing it for a decade?
For most homeowners, it’s a financial issue. You’re faced with the prospect of potentially saving some cash by doing it yourself – an enticing prospect, especially when you’ve already spent so much money on your home. However, the flip side of that scenario is that you could end up botching a costly investment — your home — with a less than professional job. Worse yet, you could end up having to hire a professional in the end anyway. You get the picture. Just think about HGTV’s Takeover My Makeover, a show dedicated to fixing home projects gone incredibly wrong.
So, how do you make the choice between hiring a handyman or taking the plunge to do a home project yourself?
Check out these 3 tips to help you make that choice.
Consider your experience. A good question to ask yourself is “Would I hire myself to do this home repair if money wasn’t an issue?” Or better yet, “Would I recommend myself to a friend?” If you’re hesitating about your competency with the job, it may be time for you to pick up the phone to call on a professional.  If your spouse, friends and family all rave about your work and it stands the test of time, you’re probably up for the job.
Determine the scope of the project. Is it labor intensive? Do you have to go out and purchase or rent the proper tools? Do you anticipate spending an inordinate amount of time working on it? If you answered yes to any of those questions, the cost of the project could end up being the same or more than it would if you hired a handyman.
How much do you care about the end result? Face it. Many do-it-yourself projects look like …  well … you actually did it yourself. No offense. If you have a project that you don’t mind looking less than professional, say, a paint job in the basement laundry room, it probably doesn’t matter if you do it yourself. However, if it involves electricity, plumbing or aesthetics that could impact the value of your home, take the time to do your research for the proper professional to get the job done.