Should I DIY This Project?

Disclaimer: I am not a professional, just a mom sharing her experiences. Please do your own research and talk to a professional to figure out what is best for you. To see my full disclaimer go to my Disclaimer & Disclosure Page.

DIY projects are hugely popular right now for many reasons. Probably the biggest is money savings. Before you start a DIY project, though, you have to consider some things. Not all DIYs are right for everyone.

1. Is there a practice project?

If it’s a major project, is there something smaller you can do to test out your skills and work out any kinks? I wanted to make custom drawers to fit in my kids closet. The girls closet was going to be a major project. So I made a small chest for the boys closet to see how it went. I don’t have a router and the one I tried to borrow didn’t work very well, so making the standard dovetail connection wasn’t going to happen. I had to figure out something else that would be sturdy and hold well. After lots of research, I found what I’ll call a poor man’s version. It was grueling, especially when I went to make 12 drawers for the girls closet, but it saved me hundreds of dollars due to them being a custom size. Neither set is perfect, but I learned from the first set how to make the second better.

2. Tool Knowledge?

Do you have basic knowledge of tools and have the tools you need? There are some basic tools that every homeowner should have, especially if you plan on doing some things around the house yourself. Just to name a few, screwdrivers (both Phillips and flathead), set of Allen wrenches, crescent wrench, pliers, drill, sander, and a circular saw. I’m sure I’m missing some, but if you are looking at doing a lot of DIYs, you’re going to want to invest in some basic tool sets. If you’re not used to using tools, find some small projects you can do to practice. Simple things like wooden coasters, drawer dividers, or a spice rack. Basically try making things that you can make out of scrap or cheap wood so if you mess up, you don’t feel bad throwing them out, or using them as firewood.

3. Have the right tools?

If you don’t have the right tools, can you borrow, rent, or do you need to buy? We are lucky enough that most of the tools we’ve needed we could borrow from my dad or our amazing neighbors. We have a pretty good basic set of tools as well though. There have been a couple things though where I do have to ask myself, Will I get a lot of use out of this tool if I buy it? If that’s the case and you don’t have anyone to borrow from, buying may be a good option. However, if you feel you’ll only need a particular tool for this one project and no one to borrow from, see if there’s an alternate way to make it.

4. RESEARCH!

This is HUGE! Did you put in the time to research how to do it correctly? You’ll want to look up all the ways you can find to do a particular project. Sometimes you’ll find that the first way you find, isn’t really the best. You really want to make sure that you are going to be doing your project the right way so it lasts a long time and doesn’t need to be redone after a short period of time. Through researching different techniques you’ll find not only the sites you like to reference best, but also the most reliable sites as well. My husband hates Pinterest. I don’t even tell him anymore if that’s where I saw an idea. He thinks that all projects posted on Pinterest are amateur and either look terrible or don’t work in reality. While this may be the case for some findings, not all. As you research different projects you’ll quickly learn how to spot not so good ideas. The more you do this, the less time your research will take.

5. Are you actually saving money?

Cost compare to make sure you will actually be saving money. Price out your project. Are the materials and tools needed less expensive than just buying the product or paying someone to do it? Do you think you’ll get good use out of the tool if you do buy it? Is the price difference worth your time? As well as researching, this will help you spend less money in the long run. Also, make sure to at least double the recommended time for a projects as it will probably take you longer than a professional.

6. Know an expert?

Do you know someone that is an expert in that area, or has maybe done a similar project that you can have help guide you? We have family members and neighbors in different trades that we can ask for help if we don’t understand something. Between odd jobs and experiences, my husband and I have become pretty good handymen and have a basic (sometimes very basic) understanding of most trades of the house.

7. KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS!

Above all, KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS! If you research how to do something and you think, “That looks like it’s going to take longer than I want to put in,” or “That looks really difficult,” you may want to save up the extra money and leave it to the experts. Also, consider if it’s something that you want to look pristine or are you ok with it having “character”. If you want it pristine, leave it to the experts. I guarantee your first projects won’t be perfect, mine still aren’t. Be honest with yourself on what you are really capable of so you don’t waist time and money on a project that ends up needing to be thrown out.

Have questions about how to go about starting a DIY project? Let me know in the comments.