Resources and Services
Expert Advice
Do-It-Yourself Compared to Hiring a Pro
Q: Can you tell me how to do a home improvement project myself?
A: ServiceMagic is a professional home improvement referral service and my
primary function is advising property owners about the most appropriate
professionals to consult and/or hire to repair, maintain, improve, or
construct their homes.
If you are intent on doing it yourself, I recommend buying an
instructional
book or perhaps a videotape from a home improvement or online construction
book store. A helpful site to reference is DoItYourself.com. Also, home improvement stores often offer Do-It-Yourself
classes and you can even get information from websites by typing your
subject matter directly into a search engine (I have good luck on
However, after more than a decade in this business, I firmly
believe that hiring an experienced professional is usually the
best, most timely, efficient (and even economical) way to get
a project done right the first time. Poorly done “improvements”
can actually detract from a property’s value and I couldn’t count
the number of consumers I’ve talked to who could have saved money by hiring a pro in
the first place.
At the very least, let me suggest that you compare what you would spend
on the tools and materials (and time and possible frustration) you’d
need
to do it yourself against a couple of estimates from professionals
before
deciding what to do. To get some bids, please return to our site at:
http://www.servicemagic.com, type a keyword relating to your project into the search
box and submit a service request so we can match you with the ideal
service professionals in your area.
Kathy Maynard
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