Home Improvement Projects: DIY or Hire an Expert?
Considering home improvement projects but unsure if you should hire an expert?
If so, read on for two home improvement projects you can DIY, and one home improvement that works best when you hire a contractor, and the average Return on Investment (ROI) for each of the projects listed presented by TAB Associates.
Two home improvement projects you can DIY.
A beautiful, fresh, green yard
Is there anything better than a beautiful outdoor living space? One easy way to increase the value of your home and add a nice, relaxing outdoor living space is to freshen up your lawn. Freshening up your yard is relatively easy. You can do this project by ensuring your lawn gets the proper amount of nutrients and prevents weed growth.
While you can weed often and apply fertilizer during the proper seasons, that can be time and energy-consuming. So instead, Bob Vila recommends using a weed-and-feed product to ensure your lawn is bright and weed-free.
Weed-and-feed products:
- Help your yard receive the nutrients it needs.
- Can speed up growth.
- Keep turf thick and healthy.
- Reduce the number of weeds in your yard.
Pro tip: Not all yards need the same nutrient balance, but you can determine which nutrients your yard needs by conducting a soil test. You can pick up a test and do it yourself. However, Pennington recommends bringing a lawn sample to your county Cooperative Extension System (CES)- a group of lawn and garden experts who use research-based advances to ensure a fantastic lawn or garden.
What is the ROI of freshening up your lawn?
If you apply weed-and-feed products to your yard six times per year, as recommended by the NAR, the cost is around $114. In addition, you’ll boost your home value by around $1,000- an ROI of just over 777%!
Add outdoor lighting.
Would you like to deter burglars and make your yard a magical place to relax at night? Adding motion lights or other outdoor lighting options to your yard can do the trick for $5,000 or less. This project can be done by following the directions on the lighting fixtures you choose, and you can customize the look to your preferences.
What is the ROI of adding outdoor lighting?
Even if you choose to invest $5,000, the NAR says you could see an ROI of around 50%.
One home improvement project that works best when you hire a contractor.
High-quality fencing
Do skunks or other pests sneak into your yard? If your property is in need of a fence, you’re best off connecting with a local fence company. Before meeting with a fence contractor to get a quote and discuss your needs, you can evaluate companies by reading reviews online.
High-quality fencing raises the property value and ensures you avoid costly mistakes. But, of course, there’s nothing worse than building a fence yourself, and it falls down the next time the wind blows.
The one thing you must check on is whether your Home Owners Association allows fencing at all. Some allow a limited amount and types of fences. You should check on this prior to making an investment in any fencing.
What is the ROI of adding a high-quality fence to a yard?
You can increase your house’s value by $1,500, on the low end, up to as much as $5,000. Of course, the home value increase is dependent on the material and type of fence. For instance, with stone or metal fences, your ROI could be as much as 70%. On the other hand, fences built with wood or other materials can still fetch an ROI of 50%. But isn’t keeping one skunk or other roaming pests out of your yard priceless?
Any one of these home improvement projects will freshen up the exterior of your home while providing a sense of comfort and a cozy, homelike feel. Plus, you can add value to your home- monetary and otherwise.
