Warning: Father’s Day DIY Disasters

With home improvement tools being this years top Father’s Day gift, DIY disasters are tipped to escalate as keen dads get ready to roll up their sleeves and jump into repair and renovation projects.

But before you make that purchase or fire up those tools, you may need to ask yourself, “how risky is it?”.

According to the Gumtree Tradie Trends Report, one in five has messed up a DIY job, with $380 million in tradesperson repairs as a consequence.

Further Accident data from the NSW Ambulance Service reveals a disturbing high number of DIY dads who have experienced injuries with home improvement jobs. Paramedics attended an average of three DIY-related serious injuries a week in the first half of the year.

At Tradebusters we have found that whilst many homeowners think they are saving money doing home improvements on their own, the reality is, it could be more costly in terms of time, finances and most importantly health and safety.

Comparing the true DIY costs verses the use of professional tradespeople is a valuable exercise to go through, and could make many dads think twice before jumping into that next project.

Tradebusters offers the following considerations as a guide to help you assess this:

Your  time.  If carrying out DIY jobs means you taking  weeks or months from a paying job or consuming annual leave time, then that has come at a cost and needs to be factored against paying for the services of a tradesperson.

Longer  completion times. Most DIY jobs will take longer to complete than engaging professional tradespeople. This could mean high disruption to your living conditions and financially higher interest holding costs if you are planning to sell or rent the property.

Safety, health and risk. Without the right experience, preparation and safety wear, you could risk injuries or even hospitalisation to yourself or those around you.

Asset value. If you are renovating a house for sale, then any shortcomings of a poor DIY job will not go unnoticed, may devalue the property significantly and even scare of potential buyers. A professionally completed renovation provides a level of assurance to buyers that the property is sound, and can even help you secure a much higher selling price.

Skills  and knowledge. Inexperience can cause costs to spiral especially if it results in shortcomings that may fail to pass a building inspection. In fact, it could be emotionally and financially draining for families if this occurs.  Experienced tradespeople are certified experts in their fields and can help ensure all the correct  regulations are followed.

And when things go wrong. It is more costly for a tradesperson to complete a botched up job than if you hired them in the first place!

Although DIY home improvements can be extremely satisfying to accomplish, it is important to know your limitations and judge those projects which can be done on your own against those that are best left with the professionals.

Accessing the right qualified tradespeople is key to success and may feasibly be your best investment towards achieving rewarding home improvement projects with complete safety, value and peace of mind.

Have you got any home repairs or renovations  planned for this year? Whether it’s a handyman for those small jobs, gutter repairs or replacement, painting a room, a kitchen or bathroom makeover, or even a major home renovation, Tradebusters can help you source the right tradesmen for your jobs. Our service covers Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Australia-wide.