When you have a home improvement project, you may have to decide whether to tackle it yourself or hire a professional. But with so many factors to consider, how do you decide?
How to decide between DIY and hiring a professional
There are several factors to consider when deciding whether to call a professional or do a job yourself.
Safety
When assessing the viability of doing a project yourself, consider whether you can do the job safely. This means deciding if you have the knowledge, skill and tools to carry out the work without endangering either yourself or anyone else.
Once the project is complete, are you confident that there will be no risk of injury to anyone or damage to the property, as a result of the work? If you’re unsure, that’s a good enough reason to let a professional do it.
Competence
Do you understand everything that is involved in the job from start to finish? Are you aware of all the steps you need to take to ensure the job is done properly, safely and to a high standard?
Knowing your limitations is important. Don’t let pride be the driving force, if you’re not confident in your ability to do the job, call a professional.
Compliance
Does the job require a certified professional to carry it out in order to meet Building Regulations or to avoid voiding a warranty? This often applies to gas and electrical work which are subject to important safeguards.
Which jobs are best left to the pros?
Even after weighing the pros and cons of doing a project yourself versus hiring a qualified professional, there are still some jobs that shouldn’t even be considered a DIY task.
Installing electrical wiring
Electrical cable installation is highly regulated for obvious reasons and most work of this nature comes under Building Regulations, specifically Part P. This is to protect against electrical shock and potential fires.
Some smaller electrical jobs such as changing light switches can be carried out as DIY tasks as long as you have some experience and switch off the power as you work.
Replacing a radiator
While replacing a radiator may seem like a simple task, it is actually quite complex, with numerous steps that you have to follow to ensure you don’t flood your home. For someone with advanced plumbing DIY skills, it is possible but for most people, it is best to hire a plumber for this task.
Fitting a gas appliance
Gas appliances, including boilers and gas fires, should only be fitted by a Gas Safe engineer. This is a legal obligation so anyone attempting to do so without the correct qualifications is breaking the law.
Removing an internal wall
Open plan living is very popular and removing walls to create one large room is a common home improvement project. However, without knowing whether the wall is load bearing you could be putting the stability of your entire house in jeopardy by removing it. You’ll need a qualified builder or at least, the advice of a structural engineer before carrying out this work.
