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Posted on: May 21, 2009

DIY Comes Down to Earth

Rooted in sweat equity, the new home-improvement movement guides homeowners through a budget-strapped 2009

By Chuck Ross
CTW Features

Image courtesy Veer

So, are you finding yourself eyeing your leaky bathroom faucet or outdated porch light with a new sense of personal possibility, wondering how hard it really could be to fix the problem yourself? If so, you're not alone. With home sales - and home values - falling, today's do-it-yourselfers are paying more attention to practical improvements and less time on McMansion-sized plans.

1. Downsize your dreams

Not so very long ago, do-it-yourselfers were dreamers, with visions of the sprawling decks and spa-like bathrooms paid for by their homes' ever-growing equity. Now, experts say, handy homeowners are hunkering down with scaled-back plans they hope will help their homes simply maintain value without the added expense of paying sky-high fees to professional trades people.

"Their DIY projects are more involved with care and maintenance, and not over-the-top, elaborate projects," says Kirsten Kemp Becker, host of TLC Network's "Property Ladder" and "Hope for Your Home." "People are really going back to the basics, saying 'Hey, it's time to replace the water heater or put in that new water filter.'"

In fact, "Hope for Your Home" illustrates this trend. Where earlier home-design reality shows focused on helping owners flip their houses for skyrocketing profits with large-scale renovation projects, this new program aims, simply, to help participants pull themselves out of underwater mortgages. With help from a professional contractor and their own sweat equity, homeowners make improvements designed to raise their homes' value high enough to qualify for a mortgage refinance.

"They're more gung-ho than ever, because their home is on the line," she says. "Improvements could mean a new or better loan. It's interesting to be the host of a reality show and see people actually coping with reality."

2. Show your Pride

Debbie Hernandez, who helps homeowners hone their skills by teaching clinics at a Glendale, Ariz., Home Depot, is on the frontlines of this new enthusiasm.

"The customers for our clinics want to learn more and practice, so they don't have to put out the money for installation," she says. "Now it's, 'I have to do it myself,' and we're happy to help them with that."

Younger homeowners are jumping onto the DIY bandwagon with enthusiasm, Hernandez says. And, she adds, their motivation is often based on positive feelings of accomplishment, rather than fear or basic frugality.

"I think the youngsters are extremely eager to try this themselves - they've got the energy and muscle," she says. "The younger crowd has probably just bought a new home and they're very excited and they want to do it themselves."

3. Know your Boundaries

If you're among those reconsidering your DIY options - or beginning to wonder what repairs you could tackle yourself - the pros urge you to make sure to avoid overextending yourself. While following instructions from your favorite DIY show may seem an easy way to save a few bucks, it also can lead to disaster. Becker, who also owns a contracting company with her husband, has been called in to fix a number of such failed efforts.

"The biggest one was a woman who moved a wall two feet to fit in a crib," she says, noting the woman had failed to realize the wall's load-bearing role. "The ceiling literally came tumbling down."

Lou Manfredini, Ace Hardware's Helpful Hardware Man, and a frequent "Today" show contributor, has similar tales from the contracting front. He offers some cautions to those who call in to the weekly home-improvement radio show he hosts regarding potential pitfalls.

"For the average homeowner, there's a level of what you can and can't do," he says. "If you're really going to go out on a limb, you really need to ask yourself, 'Am I going to hurt myself? Am I going to hurt anybody else? And am I going to cause any irreparable harm to my house?' The average DIY-er should not be running circuits themselves or rodding out their main stack."

4.Embrace your Strengths

For the DIY newbie, both Manfredini and Kemp suggest painting as a good place to start - a little investment can pay off big returns in both personal satisfaction and personal-space improvement. Next, Manfredini suggests some light carpentry work, such as replacing the front doorknob or changing out kitchen-cabinet hardware.

More extensive projects, such as fully renovating a bathroom or a kitchen, may be beyond the scope of an inexperienced DIY enthusiast, Manfredini says, but you might be able to work out an apprentice deal with a renovation contractor. For example, doing bathroom demolition under your contractor's direction could mean some bottom-line savings and help add to your home-improvement education.

"I did close to 10 projects like that, where people were directly involved with the process," he says. "You learn a lot by taking stuff apart."

5. Make your move

Any added knowledge can give you a leg up in today's otherwise dismal real estate market, Becker notes. If your income and credit situations allow you to think of exploring the many bargains now crowding the classified ads in many regions of the country, having the skills to do improvements yourself could open the door to some great opportunities.

A recent poll by Angie's List, a Web community source for local home-improvement needs, revealed that half of its members believe that now is the time to jump on the home-improvement bandwagon because of the sagging economy. And they are not alone.

"I think in this real estate climate, there are so many situations where homes that need a little work can be had at an affordable price," Becker says. "There's a lot of opportunity right now for the people who've been sitting on the sidelines and saving their money."

Something for Everyone

Don't know whether a do-it-yourself project is right for you? Take it slow

By Carley Ribet

Deciding to start a do-it-yourself decorating project is a little scary. In order to succeed, it's essential that you know your limits and make sure not to cause more harm than good with your handiwork.

For decorating projects, Cathie Filian, creator and co-host of "Creative Juice," a do-it-yourself show on HGTV and the DIY Network, says when it comes to decorating, it's everybody's game. "I think most projects anybody can do. But one of the first things you want to ask yourself is, 'What tools and materials are needed for this specific project?' See if you have those tools or whether you want to spend the money to buy them," she says. Additionally, deciding whether the project is worth your time is something to consider.

"Before you start on a do-it-yourself project, ask yourself what your time is worth," says Terry Meany, a former contractor and author of "Home Repair & Maintenance: An Illustrated Problem Solver" (Knack, 2008).

"Are you willing to spend the time and money to get decent tools? If you are working 60 or 70 hours a week, it won't be worth the money you are saving because you are spending every spare minute on a project.

"You also have to ask yourself, 'If I mess up on this, what are the consequences going to be, and can I fix them?' If it's not going to be very major and it's simple, then it's fine. If it's major, then you may not want to take a risk on this."

Instead, start on smaller, more isolated projects. "If you're going to paint the inside of your house, start with the closet. Get familiar with the tools, and then once you've decided that it's a project you want to stick with, go ahead and paint the rest of the house.

" When it comes to smaller, less invasive decorating projects, Filian recommends starting with seasonal projects. That way, if it doesn't come out exactly how you want it, it does not need to be on display forever.

"I would say that a good beginner thing would probably be something that's holiday-themed or for a party. That's a good way to get yourself introduced to crafts and it may not be something you put out all year-round," she says. "It's not something that you've done permanently to a wall."

According to Filian, there might be some wiggle-room when following directions for a project. "Don't be afraid to deviate from the instructions. If you want to try something that you think might work better, have fun with it. Take chances and risks with your project." She also notes that the project is your own and does not need to match the picture in the magazine exactly.

"Create for yourself. Don't be concerned with perfection. Take your time," she says. "It's not something that needs to be rushed. You should enjoy the creative process."