Thinking of DIY-ing? Consider This First!

The pandemic has had one unexpected result, a huge increase in home projects. From complete remodels to deferred maintenance projects, and everything in between, homeowners have taken advantage of their time at home by improving their property. Unfortunately, not all projects went as planned. Many homeowners bit off more than they could chew and became DIY failures.

During the last decade, the plethora of TV programs and DIY magazines have encouraged unskilled homeowners to attempt home improvements on their own. It looks easy enough to sledgehammer a wall or repave a backyard, but the truth is that few people have the aptitude to learn these skills over a long weekend. Add to this the shortage of contractor availability and in some cases, it was a recipe for disaster.

Of the main areas where DIY projects have failed, these are the worst failure rates:

• Bathroom–19.7%
• Kitchen-17%
• Yard/Landscaping-14.5% • Bedroom-11.8%

The largest failure rate was replacing a plumbing fixture coming in at a whopping 13.6% failure rate followed by flooring at 10%. Even painting a room had a higher than expected failure rating; 7.5%.

Of course, there were some successes too: power-washing, changing filters, replacing a showerhead, garage projects, replacing doorknobs and cabinet pulls.

The pandemic has affected us all in different ways, but before you attempt a DIY project based on a 3-minute YouTube video, remember that it may cost you far less to hire a professional.