When moving, upgrading, downsizing or remodeling – there’s one question you’re probably asking yourself…can I do this myself or should I hire a professional?

Here are some of the questions you should ask yourself when making this important and (possibly) expensive decision.

How much will it cost to hire a professional?

Some people might make a snap decision to DIY before even getting estimates. This is a mistake. Be sure you ask for recommendations from friends and family – get a pro to come out and offer you an estimate on your project. Ask detailed questions about their process, how they will do it, materials used, when they can start and how long it will take to complete the project. You can then compare apples-to-apples on estimates.

Do your research

After you have 2-3 estimates from reputable companies – start pricing out the cost for you to do the work yourself. List out materials needed, additional help you might need, hours it will take you (put a value on your time) and look at your calendar to see how long it will likely take you to complete the project.

Compare

Sit down with your family to make a decision. If you’re married, it’s important that you have buy-in from your wife (or husband) as to which direction you decide to go. Either way, there will be some sacrifice. Decide on your priorities – is time of the essence, is price your number one issue or do you value the amount of time it will take away from your family and/or social obligations? There will be give and take either way you go – so be sure everyone is prepared to deal with whichever decision is best.

Ask around

Either way you decide to go, it is always important to talk to other friends and family who have been down this road before. Ask them about things they didn’t anticipate, hidden costs or challenges to DIYing.