Few people end up buying the home of their dreams. Many times the house is too small or outdated. Perhaps it’s missing some features that you have always wanted. Whatever the case, the reality is that you would like to make some changes to the house. But what can you do and how do you go about it?

One of the first options that come to mind is hiring someone to do the work for you. That way you just get to say what you want and someone will go and get that work done. Before you know it, your dream design will be a reality. However, that may not be the best choice. To start with, to have someone go and handle it for you will cost between 15 – 20% more than doing it yourself. Secondly, there could also be a markup of up to 15% for all materials that they have brought to the project. That same piece of drywall that you could paid $15 for is arriving at your home and is now costing you $18. When you need 100 sheets of drywall, the difference can add up quickly.

Perhaps a better option is to become a DIY (Do it Yourself) homeowner. And by that is meant that you take charge of the work and projects that go on in and around your home. There are two primary reasons that this makes sense. To start with, there are cost savings. Not only do you save on the overhead that is charged by having a general contractor handle your project for you, but you also save on the material costs. That savings can translate into 20-35% of the total project. And for a $10,000 project, that is savings of $2,000 - $3,500. For projects that are around $100,000 the savings are quite a bit more. You can easily save $25,000 - $35,000. And perhaps even more satisfying is the fact that when the project is over, you can feel the satisfaction of a job well done when you look around your home. It was you who created these beautiful changes.

There are basically 4 types of projects that can be done by a DIYer. And they breakout as follows:

Single Room Changes – This type of project is about changing one room. It might be a bedroom or living room that needs new paint, enhanced flooring and perhaps some trim. These are all changes that are inexpensive and easy to accomplish. In fact all of the work can easily be done by a single person, if they wanted to do the work.

Kitchen or Bath Remodel – Many homes are in need of updating. The furniture and fixtures are 2 – 4 decades old and simply do not look up to date. That fact can influence both the feel and use of the room. Kitchen in bath remodels can be superficial changes such as flooring and paint or they can be complete overhauls. That would include changing out fixtures, appliances and any vanities or cabinets as well. In some cases, it can also include completely rearranging the layouts of the rooms as well.

Additions – In this instance the walls are coming down and opening up. A new addition is being added onto the house. With the adding on of space there comes the full range of building needs. Space planning is required to determine the layout of the space and how it ties into the rest of the house. Electricians, plumbing (perhaps), framing, flooring, walls, paint and trim out all become a part of this project. It also starts to come under the local government’s review as well. Permits and inspections become required as well.

Home Building – Believe it or not, a typical homeowner can have a house built for himself and be the general contractor for this type of project as well. The requirements for this type of project are the same as that of an addition. The only difference is the scope and size of the project. Building a home does take the longest time of the 4 types of projects and requires more inspections by the local building inspectors as the project progresses.

While completing your own home improvement does take some time, the satisfaction and money saving features of doing your home project can be incredible. So begin the process of getting ready to complete your own home improvement project today!