Most new homeowners are set on doing things themselves and I was no exception. I soon found out that many projects are too large, time consuming, complicated, or require specific skills for someone like me to do.

In general, I think it’s a good thing for homeowners to take care of small problems as they crop up. Changing light bulbs, replacing door knobs, and repairing sections of fence are all great examples and help keep expenses down; but what should you do when a project requires a skill that you haven’t perfected or time you don’t have? I’ve learned the hard way that hiring a professional is almost always the best choice for me when faced with these situations and I’ll present my case by commenting on the following pearls of conventional wisdom:

• “Do it yourself and you’ll save money.”

  I believed this statement right up until I had kids. Sure, you’ll save on labor by doing some project yourself but at what expense? A lay person’s skill in installing laminate floor or tiling a shower for example is most likely orders of magnitude below that of a professional so your quality of work and time needed to complete the job will suffer. How much would it cost to complete a project only to realize you are unhappy with the quality of the job and are forced to redo it? High quality results are important but my time is even more so these days. Before my kids came into the picture I valued my time at some dollar amount per hour. Since I had few responsibilities and my free time was abundant I was OK saving money by expending my time. But how much is an hour of my time worth to my kids and wife? Conversely, what is my family’s cost for not having daddy around for an hour? As our family grows (and it definitely is with a new baby due in November 2008) the value of my time grows with it.

• “Do it yourself and you’ll learn something new.”

  Few would dispute the idea that time spent learning something new is time well invested. While it’s true that you can learn new things by attending a thirty minute workshop or reading a repair manual, I argue that you can learn even more by watching and helping a professional. I’ve found when I express a genuine interest to learn, most pros are more than happy to teach me about their trade and as a bonus fill me in on all of the intangible secrets one only picks up from experience. This technique also works great for building rapport and has even won me discounts, free evaluations of other problems, guarantees on work and materials that I would not have normally received, and most importantly a trustworthy friend in the business.

• “Do it yourself and you could be held liable for the repair even after you sell your house.”

  Ooo gotchya! I will always call on a professional if the project involves electricity, gas, or sometimes plumbing. The reason is because I try to live my life without killing people (myself included.) If I monkey around with electricity I could easily zap myself or someone else and even if I complete the project who knows if it’s up to code. What do you think the next owner of my house would do if my workmanship somehow injurred a member of their family?