We all like to think we can do our own home repairs. A leaking faucet. A wall that needs paint. While there are many home repairs for the novice to moderately skilled DIYer, other projects need an experienced hand. Here’s how to know.

• Home improvement equals time. Let’s face it. Home improvement takes time. If you have a party in a few weeks and your dining room wall is a mess of peeling paint, can you take time out of work to fix it? If not, try a painting contractor. The contractor will have the crew to come in, fix the wall, prime and paint, and put all the furniture back.
• Home improvement means lots of tools. It’s easy to nail a piece of molding back into the wall, but if one breaks, do you have the tools to create a miter cut? This is when you should call in a contractor who knows how to add the new piece of decorative molding seamlessly. Buying home improvement tools can get expensive, so consider how often you’d use them. If you don’t plan to build shelving regularly, it’s often easier to hire a contractor instead of investing in the tools.
• Home improvement takes skills. You may be well qualified to paint your kitchen cabinets, but can you install new ones? That’s a much different job, as it requires demolition, carpentry skills and perhaps some electrical work. Often, it’s better to find a good remodeling contractor for a full kitchen overhaul. You’ll save time, aggravation and get the job done right.

Home Improvement and the Leaking Faucet

Still want to fix the leaking kitchen faucet? Try these instructions from the Do It Yourself site. For bigger projects, find a good contractor with the skills you need.