Knowing When to DIY

Specialty Shaped Shutters
Specialty Shaped Shutters

Being a homeowner means constantly balancing home maintenance and upgrades with sticking to a budget. And in that dance, many people do the work themselves, opting for the money savings. However, the will could be there but the know-how might not, so sometimes it’s best to call in the pros. At F&R Interiors serving the greater Los Angeles area, we know that, while it’s sometimes nice to do something solo, it’s also sometimes smarter (and even cheaper in the long run) to have someone do it for you. Check out our tips to help you understand when it’s OK to DIY and when it might be better to hire someone else.

To Consider Before Starting the Project

You might be enthusiastic about your home upgrade, but before you start knocking down walls or tearing out pipes, consider the following to determine if you should actually hire a contractor:

  • Safety. Even if they don’t start that way at first, many renovations wind up with complicated side fixes that could involve things like electricity or precarious heights. Before you get to far down the path, ask yourself if you could get injured doing the work. If the answer is yes, it’s time to call a pro.
  • Skill level. While smaller home projects can be easy enough to knock out, some more complex ones require practice and skill. If you don’t have experience doing the tasks (such as cutting tile or working HVAC systems), you might have to factor in additional time to learn as you go. Furthermore, in general, you might well want to contract with a licensed professional if you’re looking to fix anything involving electricity, water, or heat sources.
  • The price of your time. Although DIY usually means money savings, home projects can frequently suck up a lot of your free time—including evenings, weekends, and any other spare moment outside of your regular job. If you’re looking to have the project done in a hurry, you might not actually have enough hours in the day to do it. If that’s the case, hiring someone to take care of the project might be your best solution.

Window Treatments

Off-the-shelf window treatments that you can find in your local home goods store might have a vast appeal. Although they can be a temporary solution, you might find that you’re not happy with those window fashions in the long run. Here’s what you’ll get from F&R Interiors customization and professional installation:

  • Proper fit and measurement for your selected product, including understanding how to manage windows that aren’t perfectly square and how to manage mounting depth.
  • An eye for seeing if the window’s woodwork or any hardware (like cranks) will be an issue for installation.
  • Advice on how furniture placement might impact your final look.

Furthermore, the professional installer will use the most advanced equipment and techniques when measuring and installing. What you’ll probably find doing it DIY is that anything less than a perfect fit means less than perfect performance and appearance. So in this case, it’s probably best to spend a little extra money on hiring professionals.

Professionally Installed Window Fashions in the Brentwood & Sherman Oaks CA Area

At F&R Interiors, we’ve been serving the Greater Los Angeles since 1990, with a showroom at 1529 S. Robertson Blvd. We offer the full line of Hunter Douglas window treatments including beautiful custom curtains, top treatments, pillows, and more. Our personalized service, quality products, and professional installation services ensures you’ll find the perfect window treatment solution for your home or business.

We service the Greater Los Angeles area including Brentwood, Sherman Oaks, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Hancock Park, Los Feliz, Hollywood Hills, and San Fernando Valley, CA and surrounding areas. Contact us for more details.