Loudell Insley - Salisbury MD Real Estate Agent and Homes for Sale

Salisbury Maryland Homes and Real Estate

 
410-726-2249
loudell@loudell.com
  • Home
  • Featured Listings
  • Blog
    • From the Blog
    • Mallard Landing
  • Community Calendar
  • Meet Loudell
  • Loudell’s Sold Homes
  • Contact
  • Property SearchSearch for Homes
  • Home ValuationFind our Your Home’s Current Value
  • ContactHave a question? Contact Loudell!
  • My AccountLogin to Saved Listings and Searche

Home Maintenance Tasks: When to DIY and When to Hire a Pro

April 30, 2014 by Loudell Insley

repair

Doing maintenance jobs yourself can be a smart way to save money, but choose the right DIY projects or you’ll end up paying dearly.

More than 100,000 people injure themselves each year doing home improvement jobs. So add medical bills to your DIY budget, and you ending up spending the same, or more, than if you hired a pro.

We’re not suggesting that you call a plumber each time you need to plunge a toilet. But think twice about what DIY might really cost you. Here’s how to decide.

Stick to routine maintenance for savings and safety

Seasonal home maintenance is ideal work for the weekend warrior because you can tackle these jobs when your schedule permits. Because these are routine maintenance projects, your savings will add up. Mowing your own lawn, for example, saves $55 to $65 a week for a half-acre lawn. The bigger the lot, the bigger the savings: with two acres, you’ll pocket around $150 per week.

When it pays:

  • Snow removal
  • Pruning shrubs
  • Washing windows (be careful on that ladder)
  • Sealing decks
  • Painting fences
  • Fertilizing lawns
  • Replacing air conditioner filters
  • Cleaning gutters

When it costs: Unless you have skill and experience on your side, stay off any ladder taller than six feet; according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, emergency rooms are filled with people with ladder injuries. The same goes for operating power saws or attempting any major electrical work—it’s simply too risky if you don’t have the experience.

Become your own general contractor

If you’re more comfortable operating an iPhone than a circular saw, you could act as your own general contractor on some home improvement projects. That means you hire, schedule, and pay the carpenters, plumbers, and other tradesmen yourself. You’ll save 10% to 20% of the job cost, which is the contractor’s typical fee.

When it pays: If it’s a small job that requires only two or three subcontractors, and you have good relationships with top-quality professionals in those fields, consider DIY contracting.

When it costs: When you don’t have an established network of reliable workers, time to supervise, construction experience to spot problems, and the skill to negotiate disputes between subcontractors, your project and budget are at risk.

Invest sweat equity on big jobs

Contribute your own labor to big jobs being handled by a professional crew and cut hundreds, even thousands, off construction costs. For instance, tear out kitchen cabinets and appliances before the contractor gets started, and you might knock $800 off the cost of your remodel. Make sure you negotiate cost savings with your contractor before pitching in.

When it pays: Jobs that are labor-intensive but require relatively little skill make perfect sweat equity jobs. Perform minor interior demolition, such as pulling up old flooring, daily job site cleanup, product assembly, and simple landscaping.

When it costs: If you get in the crew’s way, you may slow them down far more than you help. Make your contributions when the workers aren’t around; mornings before they arrive, or nights and weekends after they’ve left.

Add finishing touches

Unlike the early phases of a construction job–which require skilled labor to frame walls, install plumbing pipes, and run wires–many finishing touches are comparatively simple and DIY-friendly. If you paint a basement remodel yourself, for instance, you can save up to $1,800.

When it pays: If you have skill, patience, or an experienced friend to teach you, setting tile, laying flooring, painting walls, and installing trim are good DIY jobs.

When it costs: The downside to attempting your own finish work is that the results are very visible. Hammer dents in woodwork, or sander ruts in hardwood floors will annoy you every time you see them. So unless you have a sure eye and a steady hand, don’t perform the tasks that only a skilled tradesperson will get right.

By: Oliver Marks
Published: March 8, 2011

“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”

Filed Under: From the Blog Tagged With: home maintenance tips

Read This Before Landscaping This Spring; Your Pets Will Thank You

April 30, 2014 by Loudell Insley

lawn

When you get rid of weeds this spring, make sure you don’t get rid of Rover as well. Here are tips on keeping pets safe while you’re cleaning up your yard.

When you spruce up your yard for spring, remember that landscaping aids that make your plants healthy can make your pets real sick.

In a Dailycamera.com post, veterinarian Jennifer Bolser says the following landscaping staples can harm your pets:

  • Cocoa mulch: Contains theobromine, the chemical in chocolate that poisons dogs.
  • Fertilizers and herbicides: Can irritate pet skin, pads, tongues, and gums.
  • Compost: Ingesting coffee grinds and onions in compost piles can make pets ill.
  • Metal lawn edging: Can cut pets who walk on it.

To keep your plants and pets healthy, store chemicals in pet-proof containers, enclose compost piles in bins and drums, and choose plastic or rubber edging.

What do you do to keep your pets safe?

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon
Published: March 26, 2012

“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”

Filed Under: From the Blog Tagged With: home maintenance tips

Maryland Interest Rates

Powered by MD Interest Rates

Quick Search

$
$

Local Quick Searches

Berlin
Bivalve
Delmar
Fruitland
Hebron
Marion
Parsonsburg
Princess Anne
Quantico
Salisbury
Tyaskin

Salisbury, Maryland Living

Loudell Insley Long & Foster Salisbury Maryland "I’ve always said ‘life is better in Salisbury.’ Why? Its residents truly care about the area and get involved to make it a great community. It’s a privilege for me to use my knowledge and experience to help people make the best decisions when it comes to their homes here.” [Read More...]

Salisbury, MD Real Estate

Salisbury Homes for Sale
Salisbury Homes for Sale $0-$200,000
Salisbury Homes for Sale $200,000-$400,000
Salisbury Homes for Sale $400,000-$600,000
Salisbury Homes for Sale $600,000-$800,000
Salisbury Homes for Sale $800,000-$1,000,000
Salisbury Homes for Sale $1,000,000 and Up

Contact Loudell Insley

Cell: 410-726-2249
Office: 443-523-1347
Fax: 410-548-4173
1405 S Salisbury Blvd
Salisbury, Maryland 21801
Contact Loudell

Loudell Insley of Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc Salisbury Maryland

Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved - Loudell Insley Real Estate Agent Long & Foster in Salisbury, Maryland

Website by market me