One of the most common findings in inspections of buildings with any history of multiple owners or time past since initial construction, is the simple fact that parts will be changed by the owners or users. They change out of necessity, they change out of choice but none the less changes occur. The key to making the changes work and certainly to make them safe is knowing your limitations. I have seen a great many good and poorly modified or repaired systems or portions of those systems and of course additions to a building and/or it's support systems. They all have one basic common denominator, the decision point of trying to do it yourself (DIY) or hiring a certified licensed professional.

There are a great many successful DIY projects and there is no shortage of poorly performed projects by so called professionals. TV shows runneth over covering both aspects of this reality. So the best and single most important step for anyone needing or desiring to change their suroundings is to simply do your homework first. There is a virtual library of great information out there to tackle almost any project. There are great books available in almost any big box home improvement/hardware store. There are on line how to videos and every DIY show has a web site. The other sources that are sometimes overlooked are various sales specialists working at the supply stores that may very well have been an installer for the products they sell at one time or another. Don't forget friends and family either. Also do not forget to check with your local code compliance department. Permits may be required and never take chances with electrical and plumbing. Do yourself a favor and research your project to death. There's no substitute for planning. As the saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail. You will arrive at the decision from this research as to wether you need to hire a pro or you can tackle the job yourself. Either way, you will be able to ask the right questions and spot warning signs of a plan going wrong.

Choosing to go the DIY route brings a whole new meaning to a project. The next best step to a successful DIY project has to be to take baby steps. Experience is the key. Remodeling can be a simple change of colors on the walls with some design choices to a whole sale rip out with bare stud walls and structure changes. Start small and grow into bigger and better projects. Pick small building projects for example that use simple hand tools. Maybe just an arbor in the garden or a picnic table. Try a simple tile backsplash before you pick an entire shower to redo. Now with all this said, just where am I going with this you ask. Simply put, I have performed my fair share of projects and repairs as well. The stories to follow are a chance to share in my various trials and tribulations on a major remodeling of a classic fixer upper. I will also interject along this journey some examples both good and bad I have run across in my professional endeavours.