As a woman, and a single mother, home repairs can be very daunting, especially when you factor in the cost and the handiness of the whole project. Before you decide to do any project, you should find out whether you are up to the task. Most women make the mistake of underestimating the scope of a job and in return, they end up spending more money and time trying to undo their mistakes.
Consider the following three points to decide if a job is suited for DIY, or if you should call in the professionals:
How knowledgeable am I about this task?
Only by being honest will you know if a task is truly meant for you. A botched DIY project will dig deep holes in your pocket. If for instance, you don’t know about electrical wiring but you decide to do it anyway, you could be exposing your home to fire hazards and equipment damage. The magnitude of such damage will be more costly to repair than hiring someone with electrical training.
On the other hand, if the task at hand is a simple bulb change, fixing a plug or wiring ceiling fixtures, those can be pretty manageable.
Am I exposing myself to any danger?
If you are not very handy, it’s very easy to get into accidents during a DIY job. Accidents such as falls or electrocution could be severe and make it impossible for you to go to work. They will also lead to high medical bills. If pain from a fall recurs, this might impact your performance at work and cause you to lose your job.
For a single mother, being jobless is the last thing you want. So if any repairs require you to go up ladders or work with high voltage, call an electrician. If a job requires you to interfere with the structural components of your home, find the right experts for the job. Only limit your DIYs to jobs that don’t need structural repairs.
Do I have enough time?
Another factor to take into consideration is the time involved in the repairs. As the old adage goes, ‘time is money’. If you take too much time on one thing, the benefits of saving money will be too minimal as compared to the time spent. It will take a professional a fraction of the time it will take you to do extensive repairs. You can value your time based on the cost you would on a professional.
Don’t also forget that most projects are more physically draining than they look Therefore, if you have a demanding job, the last thing you should be doing with your free time is spending it on physically demanding projects.
Bottom line: Every single mother should learn some DIY skills. However, it’s also good to know when to get some help.
Experts will tell you that only trained professionals should handle projects requiring altering electrical lines (or plumbing lines). This is because besides just the complexities involved in successfully completing such tasks, there are building codes that need strict adherence. Your repairs might flout those codes, put you in trouble with the law and make your home a living hazard.
