DIY

I'm a DIY kind of person. I painted my house myself, and I've installed light fixtures, fans, etc. I hate calling a handyperson for my own home if I think I can do it myself.

I've been thinking a great deal about DIY this week, as I tried to install trim and baseboard in my new office space myself. This was the biggest project I'd ever attempted, but the videos made it look easy, and I'm pretty handy. I gathered the necessary tools and went to work on what I anticipated would be a fun project.

HA! After four days of frustration (I cried more than once), I sent out an SOS and called in a pro. This pro and I had most of the same tools, but she had one thing I didn't. Experience. She set to work and completed the job within 5 hours.

It's so hard to put a price tag on experience. It's even harder to know what you don't know.

I see my mistakes repeated in the real estate market all the time. Folks who think they can sell their home on their own or are so focused on saving a few thousand in commissions that they leave tens of thousands on the table due to mismanagement and inexperience.

The reality is that every craft and profession requires years of experience before one is truly an expert. And folks who are experts in their field aren't usually the ones offering discounts and rebates.

I wish I had hired a professional initially rather than struggle for the better part of a week. I'm just grateful the stakes were low, and it only cost me a few hundred dollars to correct my mistakes. Next time, I'm going to stay in my lane and focus on what I do best.

Need advice on real estate? Call me!

619.890.3447

Kim Hawley

Compass

DRE:01776106