Are you looking to add space onto your home?
Home addition projects are a great way to expand your living area while also increasing your home’s value. Here’s the problem that most homeowners don’t realize until it’s too late though:
Not every home addition project should be DIY’d.
Some projects are GREAT to take on if you’re looking to construct something on the weekend. Others require permits, structural knowledge, and specialized skill sets that only professional contractors can provide.
The issue:
Trying to DIY the wrong project can lead to thousands of dollars in damages. Not to mention headaches and legal issues with building code compliance. We did some research on DIY statistics and found that 80 percent of DIY home improvement projects have some kind of mistake made during the project. Additionally, almost HALF of DIYers surveyed admitted to completely ruining a DIY project.
Yikes.
That’s not something you want to risk with your home. By taking the time to understand what projects require a professional’s assistance, you can spare yourself from disaster.
In this article we cover:
- Why Home Addition Projects Are Unique
- Projects You Should DIY
- Projects That Should Never Be DIY’ed
- The True Cost of DIYing Something You Shouldn’t
Let’s Talk About Home Additions
While many types of DIY projects fit into this neat little box we just built for you. Home addition projects are different.
Once you begin to add-on to your home, you’re playing with foundation, structure, and utilities. These factors are what make working with professional home addition designers so important.
Example:
A simple bedroom addition requires foundation work, framing, electrical, HVAC extensions, and roofing. Each one of these categories require you to know building codes and permit requirements.
Make one mistake. Knock out a support beam that you shouldn’t have. You could be looking at major renovation issues.
Professional home addition designers offer this service because they have the knowledge across many trades. It’s not something you’ll learn by watching a home addition DIY video online.
Home additions are different for another reason too:
Most counties will not even consider giving you a building permit to complete major home additions if you are not a licensed contractor yourself.
They wouldn’t dream of letting you build your own garage.
Projects You Should DIY
Fear not! There are still projects that fall into home additions that you can tackle.
Many householders can save significant dollars by doing some of the work themselves. As long as they know what projects make sense to DIY and what projects don’t.
Don’t worry friends, we’ll walk you through both.
The following projects are DIY-friendly:
- Painting
- Flooring
- Landscaping
- Hanging drywall
- Trim work
These projects can be completed by yourself without permits or specialized knowledge. These are also projects that can be repaired if you make a mistake.
Paint too much? Sand it down and repaint.
Issues with trim? Cut out another piece.
These may take you a little bit longer, but at least you don’t have structural damage or code violations to worry about.
Pro Tip: DIY projects that consist of finish work are usually your best bet. Let the professionals frame your home addition and then finish the details yourself.
This allows you to save money by DIYing while still leaving the heavy lifting to those who do it every day.
Projects You Shouldn’t DIY
When it comes to home additions there are specific projects that you should NEVER DIY.
Let me ask you this:
If it requires a permit, touches your home’s structure, or involves your homes utilities. Should you DIY it?
No.
Here’s a list of projects that should always be handled by a professional:
- Room additions
- Second stories
- Foundation work
- Electrical
- Plumbing
- HVAC
- Load-bearing walls
Why? These projects leave NO room for error.
According to a Clever Real Estate study, homeowners who hired professionals to renovate their home were more likely to love their finished project compared to those who DIYed.
Anything that requires a permit will have to be inspected by your local county. These professionals know permit requirements like the back of their hand. DIYers usually get it delayed, rejected, or ask tons of questions.
Why You Should Hire Help
If you DIY something you should have hired a professional to do. You will eventually pay more money to fix your mistakes.
Here are some examples of how DIYing the wrong home addition project can cost you thousands.
- Permit problems: Finishing a room addition without a permit can cost you major fines. If your local county finds you did it on your own, they make you tear the work down. Just kidding, but you might have to brace for doubling your budget just to meet building code standards.
- Insurance problems: Insurance companies love when you don’t have permits. Why? It gives them the right to deny your claim if something happens. Say a storm destroys your DIY home office addition. Since it wasn’t permitted you’re out of luck when it comes to filing an insurance claim.
- Resale: When listing a home for sale you’ll be required to disclose any un-permitted renovations. Some homebuyers won’t even make offers if there are un-permitted renovations. If they do make an offer they typically ask for a lower selling price or request you update the renovations.
Anyone can make these mistakes when DIYing their home addition. Don’t be that person.
DIY Or Hire Help? Make Your Decision
To make things EXTRA easy for you. Here are some questions to ask yourself when DIYing a home addition project.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Does this project require a permit? If yes, hire help.
- Will this project impact my home’s structure? If yes, hire help.
- Would one mistake put my family’s safety at risk? If yes, hire help.
- Is this project cosmetic and can it be fixed if I ruin it? If yes, then you’re probably good to DIY.
The best home improvement projects combine both DIY work along with hired help. Contractors can complete the difficult tasks while you contribute with labor on smaller tasks.
This allows you to save money while getting quality work done that you know will pass inspection.
Unless…
You decide to completely DIY the project.
Then you’re just asking for a home improvement headache.
Conclusion
Home addition projects can add functional space to your home while giving you the ability to customize how you want the finished product to look.
Before you start planning your next home addition, ask yourself this:
Will I DIY my home addition project?
Sure, knocking down walls and building rooms from the ground up can be satisfying. But some projects are just not worth the risk.
Save yourself the headache and always err on the side of hiring help with these projects.
Your wallet will thank you later.