There’s really nothing like a good home “before and after”. With all of us at home more often, perhaps you’re hoping to tackle a small home project or wondering if you can finally install that hardware or appliance you’ve been dreaming of. The key, according to renovation renegade, Claire Thomas, is in knowing your own boundaries. We asked Claire to define the projects she thinks of as workable DIYs versus those you should definitely hire a professional for and she dished out the below with experienced clarity!
See Claire’s projects like Sweet Laurel Bakery, the Kitchy Cabin and Oeste Home!
5 renovations you can and should
ACTUALLY take on…
take on Painting! You can do it, but do it right. Tape everything off, get the right equipment, put on a podcast and block out the whole day.
the new Cabinetry. It’s time consuming, but with companies like Semihandmade, you can build IKEA boxes and install fresh cabinets for very little money.
diy Floating shelves. The kitchen shelves and the bar were both DIY projects Yayo (my business partner for Oeste Home) took on. They took about a day to do, and turned out fabulous.
install A Fountain! Yayo’s parents installed an epic hillside fountain with items from Home Depot in one weekend. It’s now the highlight of the lower patio, with bunnies, road runners, quail, and squirrels using it as a watering hole.
5 renovations you should
ACTUALLY hire a professional for…
hire for Anything electrical. Get a licensed pro for this.
reconsider Anything that can kill you. Maybe don’t climb on your roof today?
skip the Plumbing. If there’s a chance you’ll accidentally flood your home, skip it.
leave the Tile to the pros. Ok, maybe I’m just a little traumatized because I’m so bad at it, but unless you are comfortable using a tile saw and are really good at math — skip it.
smart Appliance installation. There’s also a bit of self protection here. If you use a pro you keep the warranty and if anything goes wrong, they’ll fix it.
