When DIY becomes too Dangerous
DIY projects are increasingly popular these days. While doing things yourself may sound like a great idea in theory, in practice there are some definite risks involved. Unless you’re a trained pro or seasoned hobbyist yourself, going the DIY route often means taking some big risks, including the risk of never finishing the project, achieving generally lackluster results, making the problem worse rather than better, and spending more money to do-it-yourself than it would cost to outsource. In addition, DIY projects carry the real risk of injury, accounting for an extraordinary number of accidents each year, even on the simplest of tasks.
In fact, the UK-based Telegraph reported back in 2006 that more than 200,000 DIY-ers require hospital treatment each year for injuries sustained while working on a DIY project. That not only included crafters (where injuries with straight edges were prominent), but also home-based chores, including 30,000 people who fall of ladders or stepladders while cleaning windows.
On top of that, the mental strain of holding yourself responsible for anything and everything—making sure that the house stays orderly, that quarterly tasks like changing air filters or getting the car’s oil changed are managed well, and that each person in the household has everything they need for their day—can feel stifling and steal the joy from your life. Furthermore, your day-to-day stress level doesn’t even include all the extras that make life special, such as planning holiday menus, hosting birthdays or other family get-togethers, making vacation arrangements, and shopping for back-to-school clothes.
From DIY to Done: How a Personal Concierge Can Help Manage Your Life
Do you want to do-it-yourself or do you want it done? Realistically, that’s often the choice that we face when it comes to household care and lifestyle management. In fact, we seldom have time to stay-on-top of hiring help for all of the projects that we’d like to complete, let alone complete those projects ourselves. Fortunately, your personal concierge can manage the task load to help you stay on track without losing your cool—and without putting yourself or your family at unnecessary risk. Here are a few examples of hidden dangers in those things many people think they’d rather DIY:
Household Upkeep. Doing the dishes every night is easy, but what about that getting that deep clean feeling throughout your whole house? Don’t spend your time renting carpet cleaners or climbing ladders to dust those high ceilings or wash your double-pane storm windows—those are all tasks that, for the time and effort involved, could easily and inexpensively be done by a professional. Additionally, when you get into more advanced home care, such as electrical wiring (which, if done wrong can be fatal) or roofing (where a fall could inflict serious harm), there’s little reason not to call a contractor instead. When dealing with DIY projects with high risk like the above, the savings don’t balance out the risk or the time involved to get it right.
Lawn Care. Lawn care sounds simple enough until you consider some of the larger projects you’ve been wanting to tackle and evaluate the risk. Have you been planning on taking out that old tree in the back before a storm pushes it into the house? That’s great, but consider the risk: either injury to you (if the accident isn’t serious), or further damage to your house. That poison ivy out back? Well, if you can’t identify it, you could hit it with a weedeater, spreading the oils everywhere—a significant danger for those allergic to it, and especially if those oils are inhaled. And what about pest care? Do you understand those sprays and what they contain? Have you considered the effects they might have on your home, your kids, or pets? Bottom line: If you don’t know exactly what you’re getting into, it’s probably best to stay away from it.
Automotive Care. With automotive dealerships charging more and more and service stations’ service lacking in service, many people may look to DIY their own routine car care. While many of us are adept at changing the oil or rotating tires, the rest of the population may find it a little out of their element. Consider the challenges of that project you’re taking on: if you don’t cause a major accident, it’s quite possible that you may not put something back together right, causing bigger damage probability down the road. Just like other DIY projects—if you don’t have the correct training, this is another place you probably want to steer clear.
In all of these DIY projects, should you decide to forgo the “Y” and hire it out to a professional, make sure you take the time to vet your contractors well. In addition, you’ll want to ensure that your providers are licensed and bonded to prevent possible headaches, or personal liability, if they have an accident while on the job.
Whatever you need to get your projects done, Monogram Concierge is here to help. Not only can we help you identify the best provider for each service, but also schedule the service, meet with providers, manage each project, and ensure that the work is done to your satisfaction. Project and lifestyle management is just one of the many ways that Monogram’s team of personal concierges craft beautiful outcomes with our clients. Contact us to schedule a complimentary consultation.