DIY Home Repair – Not as Cheap as You Think

Some urbanites are lucky and have apartment or condominium managers who will take care of repairs for ‘free’ (it’s factored into your rent, so it’s not free at all.) But if you don’t, Do It Yourself home (or in my case, apartment) repair can shave a ton of money off the cost of the project. However, there are many traps where you’ll find your money being sucked into.

When you hire a professional to do a project, he’s got many things going for him:

• Wholesale discounts
• Experience
• Proper Equipment/Tools

Unless your occupation is in the field, you’re unlikely to have those three things. You can try to make up the difference though.

It’s hard to get good prices on the supplies you will need for your project without the kickback that contractors get. Even if you only need a little spackling to patch up that whole in the wall, you’re going to pay top dollar for it if you have to head towards a major chain of ‘home improvement’ stores. If you have a ‘value’ store, great. If not, ask around if your neighbors need to do any similar projects. If you only need 1/4 of a can of paint and a little spackle and the neighbors need the same, you may be able to work out a plan to share.

If you have some experience working on the type of project that you’re attempting, then you have an advantage. If you’re like the rest of us, however, you’re going to be doing a lot of research on the subject before you begin. (And if you don’t, you may end up messing up and having to buy more supplies.) This is where I end up in trouble, because I spend three or four hours before I even start looking up tutorials on what I’m going to do. If you work freelance or otherwise by the hour, make sure you calculate your opportunity cost.

Sure the repair guy may charge you $50 an hour, but if it’s going to take him 2 hours to fix your leaky faucet, it would only cost $100 + supplies. If you would be making $20 an hour if you were working your job and it would take you 5 hours to figure out what the heck you’re doing, it would still could still end up costing you $100 + supplies.

See if your neighborhood has a handyman (or handywoman) who can take up the project for a fraction of the cost of a professional. You may be able to shave a lot of money off the cost of labor if you find that your opportunity cost is too high.

Lacking the proper tools is another common issue for urbanites especially. With space at a premium, there’s often not enough space to store a collection of tool boxes, powertools and equipment. If you’re lucky, you can borrow the things you need from your family, friends or neighbors. If you’re unlucky, you’re going to have to rent, which gets expensive really quickly. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of buying or renting equipment when you calculate the cost of you project.

If you’re careful, doing a repair yourself could save you a ton of money. If you’re not, you’re going to wind up frustrated and paying more than you should have.

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