Doing your own home repairs could save you money by not having to hire a professional. However, there could be instances in which it may not always be the most sensible thing to do. Below are just a few times when you should avoid doing your own home repairs.
You don’t really know what you’re doing
You should only ever take on a home repair task if you’re confident that you know what you’re doing. A botched repair will likely cost you more money to fix. In some cases, it could even be dangerous to attempt a repair without knowing what you’re doing. An example could include air conditioning repair. If you don’t have any knowledge about air conditioners, your best air conditioning repair solution is to hire a professional technician. There are so many things that can go wrong if an air conditioning unit isn’t repaired properly ranging from electrical fires to toxic gas leaks. You may be able to teach yourself what to do with Youtube videos or how-to blog posts, but if you have any doubts you should leave it alone.
It Could Be Unsafe
Some home repairs are inherently more dangerous than others, and you’ll put yourself at risk of hurting yourself - or worse - if you do them yourself. Mold remediation companies and similar options are much better recommended options than trying to tackle these repairs. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so there’s no reason to risk something happening.
You have to buy expensive tools
Some repair tasks may require you to have specialist tools. If you haven’t got these tools, consider whether it’s really worth buying them or whether you’d be better off hiring pros who already have the right tools. For instance, identifying some leaks and electrical hazards within walls may require a thermal imaging camera - for the price you spend on one of these, you’ll likely be able to hire a contractor to inspect the problem for you. It could however be a good investment if you’re likely to use the tool again.
You’re covered by a warranty or home insurance
Some appliances, furniture and building projects may be covered by a warranty. This means that you’ll likely be able to hire a professional to fix the problem for you free of charge. If you attempt to make a repair yourself, this warranty may become void. Similarly, some forms of damage around your home may be covered by home insurance. This is likely to include things like fire damage, burglary damage or storm damage. Your insurance company may be able to pay you to hire a professional. It’s possible that your cover may become void if you attempt to fix the problem before having your claim accepted. In some cases, an insurer may even stipulate that a professional has to carry out repairs to carry on being insured. Make sure to read into this first.
You need a permit/license – and haven’t got one
There may be cases where you need a license to carry out repairs. This could be the case with certain electrical work. Permits meanwhile may be necessary for tasks like replacing old windows or replacing old external features.
You rent property and haven’t told your landlord
When renting property, it is usually up to your landlord to pay and arrange for repairs involving wear and tear. That said, if you’re really eager to carry out repairs yourself, you may be able to talk to your landlord and get permission to do it. Whatever the case, you should always tell your landlord of any damage that needs to be repaired. There are of course exceptions - you don’t have to tell your landlord when replacing a bulb or when fixing a piece of furniture/appliance that you own.
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