DIY Home Remodeling: Don’t Set Yourself Up for Failure!

My daughter and son-in-law are house hunting in the North Richland Hills, Watauga, Fort Worth area, and they were appalled at one home they toured. The owners had started a home remodeling project, but it was unfinished, and what was done was not done properly. It would take time and money after purchasing the home, just to get it up to code. Therefore, financing options for purchasing the home will be limited.

My wife and I had a similar issue when we bought our first home. The previous homeowners had tried to enclose their back porch, not knowing that their patio slab was insufficient for enclosing. Wood rot, a drooping ceiling fan, and exposed plumbing had added up to a big, expensive mess. The windows were the only part of the enclosed patio that had been done well.

The owners of our previous home and the home our kids toured hadn’t planned to fail, of course. They had the best intentions of expanding and updating their residences. They envisioned the final product as stable, sound, and beautiful. The problem was, like in our first home, they started their home improvement projects on an insufficient foundation.

They had hoped to increase their home’s value, not decrease it with an unfinished eyesore. 

If you want to enclose a patio, remodel your bathroom or kitchen, or install your own roofing, please understand that it’s not as easy as it looks on the home remodeling shows. Don’t be that guy who wastes precious time and money on a failure.

As an experienced home remodeling and roofing contractor, I help homeowners accomplish the renovations they want. I know what’s not seen, behind the walls and beneath the flooring, and overhead. My crews are specialized: electricians, plumbers, carpenters, tile setters, painters. Each crew is experienced and proven. And my favorite part of being a contractor is seeing my clients satisfied.

Currently, I’m working on a few home remodeling projects and I really like my clients. Two of the homes I’m working on sustained roofing damage that led to damaging the interior of their homes. Rain seeped into the attic, down the walls behind the sheetrock, and even to the flooring. When I first saw these homes, evidence of damage was everywhere: ceilings had water stains, sheetrock buckled, cabinets bowed…and I knew these homes had even more unseen damage.

The ROI team is working on insurance claims for my clients, and I’m filming some of the tear-out to prove to the insurance providers just how deep the damage runs. I’ve taken hundreds of photos to submit, as well. We’re actually helping the homeowner fight for the necessary funds to do the job right–and we’re winning the battle. 

I also did a small job last week, remodeling a front porch. We tore out old, wood-rotted siding and out-of-fashion posts. We replaced this with hardy-board shake siding and fresh trim work. Also, we built shutters for the street-facing windows. The result is just what the homeowner wanted, but better. 

The porch now feels open and inviting, and curb appeal went up significantly! The homeowner is a DIY’er (do-it-yourselfer), so she decided to handle the painting herself. We don’t recommend this because we can’t guarantee woodwork that we don’t seal, but the homeowner didn’t mind. Her DIY instincts kicked in, and she’s determined to do her own painting. I can’t blame her!

I just want to appeal to my friends, neighbors, and acquaintances, and to all my future clients, to understand that home remodeling projects involve more than you think. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Call an expert! 

Call me, Chris Duty, with ROI Construction & Roofing at 682-337-1849 for a no-cost inspection or bid. I’ll take time to understand what you want to accomplish, and I will probably ask questions you hadn’t even thought about. Then I’ll provide you with a bid for services, and we can discuss how to move forward.