We live in an age where most people rent their property, but if you own your home, while it’s infinitely better for you in the long term, your finances can take a battering in many ways that you didn't consider before. The issue of home maintenance, when you rent a property, is something that is down to the landlord or the property letting agency. But when you own your home, it's your responsibility to make sure your house or apartment doesn't plummet to the seventh level of hell. So, naturally, there are many temptations for us to do these jobs ourselves. So what are the main reasons you shouldn't tackle all of your home maintenance jobs?
Cost
It's a double-edged sword when you are considering the reasons to do a home maintenance job yourself. There are infinite resources on YouTube and on maintenance websites for you to tackle the most basic of tasks. But, we can all get a little above what our abilities really are. This means that we can feel so much on a roll that we can take on almost anything. This is where it's much better to hire professionals when you have an inkling of doubt. No matter how many instruction manuals you read on how to fix a burst water pipe, it's much better to leave it to a professional plumber. But, with something like a burst water pipe, it's beneficial to know the basics. The U-bend under the sink, for example, can be easily replaced. Just make sure you know what you're doing. The more damage you cause, the more it's going to cost you. So, when you weigh the balance, surely it's cheaper to hire professional, than to sustain water damage to your home, because you tried to fix it, and then have to hire a professional on top?
Stress
Nobody likes having to fix a maintenance issue, especially if it comes up at the worst possible time. If we are struggling financially, this is unwarranted money that is going to cause us undue stress. This is the peril of owning your own home. And this is why it's beneficial for you to have a cash buffer, either in the form of a rainy day fund, or an insurance policy in place to cover you for problems like water damage, boiler breakdown, and so forth. But, in trying to fix the problems ourselves, we view it as a way to save a few extra pennies, but the stress in completing these tasks, especially when you are busy looking after your family, might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Much is being made of the stress we all suffer in the modern world, so think about it, do you really want to add more anxiety to your life by attempting to fix these tasks?
Yes, there are many reasons for us to take on these home maintenance jobs ourselves. But there is a line. Consider your own skills, and while there's no problem in trying to fix the most basic of house problems yourself should some wallpaper come away, or something minor needs fixing. But there's a big difference between fixing little problems, but trying to fix a bigger one and causing much more damage to your home in the process.