Home Improvements
 

Advice is appreciated if you or someone you know has done this.
We have a smaller house and we want to put an addition onto the back. Obviously, I know nothing of joists and all that stuff so we are hiring a contractor for that.
My querry:
I have a book (from Home Depot) that goes in depth of how to do alot of things by yourself (ie carpetting, tiling, replacing a bath tub and toilet) Is it worth it at all to do these things myself to save money or is it too much of a headache and I should just have a contractor do it all?

If you enjoy doing that kind of thing, do it yourself. It's awesome. If you don't enjoy that sort of thing or don't get a sense of satisfaction when you do an awesome job on something, then leave it for the contractor. Yes, you will pay out the nose. If you can afford it and don't want to do it yourself, go for it.

The important thing to remember about doing work on your house when you're new at it (and even when you're not) is read the instructions <b>about eight times</b>. You don't want to miss <b>anything</b>, because "anything" can be the difference between a bunch of cracked tiles and a nice looking kitchen floor.

"Measure twice, cut once." I'd say, measure eight times, cut once.

(Personally, I'd do it myself. We're getting a new kitchen floor in right now, and normally I'd love to do it, but the reason we're getting a new floor is because we had a house fire, and that extra hassle means I'd rather jst pay someone.)

Homebuider Griff will definitely have two cents to stick in here, when he comes online.

Re: Home Improvements
 

Sounds like you don't have too much experience with home projects (well, neither do I, but I have three contractor friends that employ me from time to time).

I would say self-installing anything having to do with electricity or plumbing is generally not a good idea. Unless you've done it before, su casa is probably not the best place to start. ;)

Painting, replacing light fixtures - that's about the extent of DIY work I would do. Even window treatments are tough, unless you're doing something simple (rod and curtain, for example). Oh, my family tried wallpapering ourselves - NOT a good idea.

There is a lot of work that you can do on your own. Often you can even find small workshops hosted by Home Depot (or similar) that will demo out "tiling techniques", "proper wall-papering", etc etc. Just ask the folks there and see if they're hosting anything. If you can't find any then just hit the 'net and research what you want to do.

Next, do not shortcut or short-change anything. One of the worst decisions I saw in a house... a few relatives of mine decided to turn their 2nd den into the main kitchen. (Ripped out the carpet, install shelving, ovens, sinks, etc etc), they did a wonderful job on everything.... except...

They decided to save money on tiles since they're so expensive. They purchased outdoor tiles to finish the floors with. The texture was awful, it trapped dirt and always looked a dirty, no matter how you cleaned the floor. Major mistake.

So yeah. Research. Quality > Quantity.

Contractors are great... and they'll do a great job, but anything that you can do yourself will save big dollars! (Always feels great) ;)

I pinch pennies until they're pearls. I need to grow out of that.
I'm pretty handy around the house and with cars. I can do alot and I am confident in my capabilities but doing things I have never done before makes me feel a little...less capable?
I think I second the emotion of reading things 8X. For me? Possibly 13.

There's another problem with Home Depot in that they may be cheaper than the local people but will only offer you whatever they carry. You can't get the "ideal" bath fixture, the one that would be perfect for you, you can only get items exactly like everyone else's.

It seems all the rules are different for every item. I found that local plumbers will kill you on parts. BUT I have a local carpet guy who is cheaper than the hired guns that will put in store-bought carpet - plus, they put in higher-quality stuff, and do a much better job.

Dave nailed it. If you get pleasure from creating stuff, do it. Read a lot about it. Start figuring out what you like by looking at magazines like Fine Homebuilding. Consider how your house fits among your neighbors. Will your addition make it appear out of place? What materials do you want to use? Are they appropriate to your climate? Don't forget to look at how the sun enters your addition during different times of the year. Don't be afraid to get in over your head. It is a good way to go if you are a tightwad and your spouse is patient. If you run out of money, you let the project sit for a while. good luck

Another question you need to ask yourself is, will you have the time and willingness to finish? Any project that requires you to shut things down, to lose power or water or access to something, can really suck if you find yourself short on time, desire, or ability.

If you know someone who knows how to do one of the difficult tasks, enlist their help at first. Provide them dinner in exchange for their knowledge. Once you've done a little bit of the work under their guidance, you can finish it up without them. That makes it inexpensive, you still get the do-it-yourself feel, you're less likely to make mistakes, and you have some useful company while you work.

One problem with just using the book as guidance is when you run into the exceptional situation... when some specific circumstance comes up which the book doesn't cover, it becomes a significant obstacle. If it's carpeting or wallpapering, that's no big deal, you can let it sit while you figure it out. But if it's electrical or plumbing, a small mistake could mean major damage.

Also, compare the savings in labor to the cost in tools and materials... you may not have to pay someone to lay your carpet, but you will need to buy the stretching tools, tackboard, padding, etc. That's in addition to your time.

In my experience, installing a toilet is cake. Installing a standard tub is a pain, but doable. Installing a jetted tub is best left to the pros unless you want to spend a lot of time and have a lot of aggravation. Carpetting is tricky until you get the knack of it, it helps if you've watched somebody do it before. Plumbing is obnoxious, running electrical is just a pain, but not terribly hard. Ceiling fans, light fixtures, etc. are easy.

I am renovating a house as we speak, so I can speak authoritatively on this.

HD and Lowe's have workshops on "how-to". Attend these religiously. I did.

You will get a rush after you check off each item on your list.

Step one: Make a list of what needs to be done, complete with materials.
Step two, be certain you have all the materials plus a fudge factor of >10%. Before you start! Trust me!

Step three: have help if needed BEFORE you get to work. Nothig worse than a promised helper NOT showing up and leaving you with a two person job to do by yourself.

email me with any specific questions and I'll see if I can help you.

Brian

Re: Home Improvements
 

What level of finish? Is the contractor just putting the shell up? You would be able to finish the interior on your schedule if that's the case.

Thanks for all of the advice!
The contractor will be putting up the shell and drywall, but I am *thinking* of installing the bath tub, toilet, ceramic tile, hardwood (re-finish, not install) etc...
That slat board hardwood that pieces together and actually snaps (I don't know what it's called) seems like it would be fairly easy, I hope.

i want to build a barn. just a little one

if i gave everyone enough notice, would you come to a barnraising?

i'm thinking a year or so from now.

you'd have to wear amish outfits and beards with no mustaches......but the baked goods will make it all worth while.

Pergo is one of the brand names. My brother has two toddlers, and wisely replaced his carpet with it. Sounsd like it's not too bad.