DIY Solutions

There are basic rules of thumb on deciding whether to DIY or hire someone on. You should assess (honestly) what you are capable of (your skill set and your time to do it), and you may save money, but only if you do it correctly the first time. Many times you think it will be cheaper to do it yourself, but then you mess up and end up spending more. And remember, your time costs money (many times we forget that). Also, practice on a smaller project first. So if you're wanting to do re-do your floors, practice on your furniture first, and by the results of that project, see if you're then ready to tackle the floors.

Latisha suggests painting as a DIY, but we've had our share of disasters, most recently when my dad tried to touch up the paint in my room. He's a lawyer, and is very much lacking in the artistic areas but he insisted on trying to fill in the tiny tiny spots that had been chipped away by thumbtacks etc. He convinced me that it would be quick and easy, and that he just had to use the paint that was left in my garage. So I let him do his thing. Several hours later, it was CLEAR he had been using the wrong color paint. I have random dalmatian spots all over my yellow walls. That's the last time I let my dad near my room with a can of paint!

DIY: painting, decorating, cleaning, changing doorknobs. PRO: anything that involves wiring, plumbing, structural work, or major appliances that require complicated installation.