20 Benefits of DIY

Since I purchased my cabin property 20 years ago, I’ve learned many new skills. This is not only because I wanted to learn how to do things myself but also because it saved me a tremendous amount of money. I can proudly say that I have managed to complete roughly 90% of the projects on my property completely by myself. Consequently, I have learned from first hand experience the many benefits to DIY.

If you are not accustomed to doing things yourself, I would recommend starting with very simple projects until you are comfortable with your new skills. Plenty of home improvements stores offer workshops and short demonstrations on how to complete various projects. Additionally, you can find most anything on what I call “YouTube University”.

Continue reading to learn the 20 benefits to DIY.  You will also get to see me in the progress of completing a nice deck on the back of the cabin.

1) Learning new skills gives you more personal freedom.

Learning to do something yourself and acquiring a new skill makes you that much less dependent on others for your day to day needs. This not only makes you more self sufficient but also increase your sense of personal freedom. This is one of the best benefits to DIY.

2) One of the best benefits to DIY is that it saves you money.

Sometimes I am amazed at what my friends tell me it cost them to have a relatively simple project done at their home. For example, refinishing a kitchen for $25,000. Refinishing a bathroom for $8,000. I was once quoted $4,700 for only granite counter tops. I refinished the entire kitchen and laundry room myself with new appliances, granite countertops, new floors, refinished cabinets, and fresh paint for $3,500.

One step closer….. 

3) Learning a valuable new skill

It does not matter if your home is brand new or 100 years old. Things are going to break and need to be repaired or replaced. You can perform routine maintenance yourself. For example, if you learn basic plumbing, you will not freak out when the pipes start leaking.

4) Increases your property value.

Repairing all the small things not only improves the appearance of your home but also makes it much more appealing to others. New windows, new tile floors, and new paint can increase your property value substantially. In a previous house that I owned I completely gutted and refinished the garage for $750. When it came time to sell, the garage improvements were one of the major selling points.

5) Personal satisfaction

Completing your own projects produces a tremendous amount of personal satisfaction. It is not only exciting and fulfilling but also very rewarding when you get to sit back and enjoy the results. DIY projects are also great for your self esteem.

I brought in a couple of helpers.

6) An opportunity to use your hands and your brain.

Instead of sitting in front of the television, keep your mind active by challenging yourself. By doing so, your mind stays sharp and you continue to develop important problem solving and critical thinking skills. Before you know it, it makes no difference when your are confronted with something you have never done before. It just becomes habit to simply figure it out.

7) You develop a greater appreciation for the things you have. 

After several days of work

The flip side of learning the benefits to DIY is that you also learn just how challenging and time consuming it can be. Consequently, your pride in ownership increases and you develop a much greater appreciation for the things that you have.

8) The ability to work at your own pace

Whether you decide to complete a project in a day, a week, or a whole month, the decision is yours.

9) You can fit projects into your personal schedule.

You no longer have to hire someone to come out at a specific time. You can do your projects at night, on weekends, or whenever it best fits into your schedule.

10) DIY eliminates the trust factor

It you have ever hired a person to complete a project for you and have gotten ripped off in the process, you can appreciate what I am saying. If you do things yourself, you never have to worry about trusting someone to be in your home when you are not around.

11) You can adjust things to fit your specific needs and personal taste. 

Wait for it…………..

When I hire someone to do a project, I discuss every last detail. When you do things yourself, you eliminate this altogether. You can make certain that things are completed the way you want and you can add your own personal taste to the finished product.

12) Avoid purchasing something new

When you have the ability to repair or modify something, you can avoid spending money on something new. This can potentially save you a substantial amount of your hard earned cash.

13) Stress relief

Working on projects at home is a great way to take your mind off of other things. You can focus on creating something new instead of stressing out over so many things that you cannot control.

14) More time with family

Home improvement can become a family project. You can get your children involved and even improve your relationships.

The completed project

15) Personal respect

Home improvement projects are intimidating to many people. They are often afraid they will make mistakes and have to hire someone to fix their mess. If you share your experiences with others, they will often have a tremendous amount of respect for you and your abilities.

16) The chance to meet new people.

In the process of learning to do new things, you will likely attend workshops, classes, or perhaps participate in online forums. This is a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and make new friends. People are often willing to share new ideas and offer advice.

17) Once you learn the benefits of DIY, you can charge money for your new skill

If you really want to take things a step further, it is possible to use YouTube, Pinterest, as well as your own blog to make money with DIY demonstrations. Create a nice product and people will flock to your pages. This could also be a nice way to make money while living off the grid.

18) Increased financial security

Having another source of income can give you a bit more financial security. Loosing a source of income has much less of an impact if you diversify your sources. This is especially important if you are self employed.

19) A great way to get exercise and stay fit

Living off the grid and being self sufficient requires a certain amount of physical labor in the outdoors. This will help you stay fit instead of spending time in front of the TV. When I was building the addition to my original cabin, I was eating 6 meals a day and still loosing weight. I was in the best physical condition I had even been in my entire life.

20) You can have an impact on someone else’s life

There is no better way to help someone in need by assisting them with a project, helping them to save money, and passing along your skills and knowledge. I once spent an afternoon with two 80 year old sisters who had built their own log cabin by hand 50 years prior. They shared their knowledge and practical experience and I learned more from them than I ever did from a book or video. This experience had an enormous impact on how I built my first cabin.

If you have the skills and knowledge, pass it on.

And when you are finished, the neighbors always come to check it out.

A last word on the benefits to DIY

At this point you probably realize there are many reasons to do things yourself. Some of the most important benefits are that you greatly increase your confidence, you learn critical problem solving skills, and you are much less dependent on others for your daily needs. This alone can have a great impact on other areas of your life.

All of this being said, I would like to suggest one other thing. When considering all the benefits to DIY, always consider  cost versus benefits. Besides the cost of tools and materials, your time is also valuable and you have to factor that in as well.

For example, if you have a excavation project to do, will it actually cost you less ( factoring in your time and money) to hire someone to do it versus renting equipment, hauling it to your property and doing the job yourself? There have been times on my place that I’ve hired someone to do a job because it was a much more efficient use of my time. It cost less for me to earn the money to pay them than spend the time doing it myself because it would have taken me three times longer.

In most cases it is far more beneficial to do things yourself because of the benefits listed above. So, continue to visit the site as I add more tips, advice, and demonstrations on the best benefits to DIY.

Additional Posts of Interest

The Best Reasons to Live Off the Grid

Self Reliance is Your Best Security Blanket

Go off-grid and live well,

Patrick