What Can You Handle?
Whether or not you can handle a lot of repairs on your own depends partly on your situation. Some people are all thumbs and resent time spent on household repairs. When they have to do the work, they lose their temper and succeed only in raising their blood pressure. If that describes you, you need a good handyman at your beck and call. If you have patience and a willingness to learn, however, you can do a lot in your building to save yourself a buck.
Whenever you get someone in to do repairs, you pay for materials and labor — including travel time. They are deductible business expenses when you prepare your income tax return, but you need to pay for those repairs up front. Will it have to come out of your pocket or have you set money aside to use exclusively for repairs?
If you are retired, you have more time to do things around the house than when you had a full-time career. But it's still important to assess your interest, curiosity, and the time you're willing to spend before you decide to give it a try. If you're up for it, you might find you enjoy doing simple chores.
If you're just starting out on a career and family, you have less time on your hands to work on these projects — but if you want to save money, you have no choice. Start out by doing things that won't take much time; as your experience grows, tackle the more complicated and time-consuming jobs.
Questions to ask yourself before taking on a home-improvement task include:
Do you want to do the job?
Do you know how to do it?
Do you have time for it?
Who will do the work if you don't?
What will it cost to hire someone to do the work?
Can you afford to hire someone to do the work?
