With all the TV shows about fixing up houses and selling them, it  makes it look like an easy thing to do.  The young pretty girls with the cute outfits and long salon done nails, that never get dirty, sweaty or break a nail.  In real life that "ain't" the way it is, when you do it yourself.  When I come home from working on a house, I look very much like a "bag lady".  I think everyone should learn to do some of the work yourself, especially at first, so you gain knowledge of what is needed.

     However, the biggest draw back for me to do the work myself is the extra time it takes for the learning curve.  Many things are twice as hard to do, take twice as long to do, and cost twice as much to do, than what you expected.  On my first houses, the budget constraints forced me to do it myself.  However, because it takes longer, and time is money, does it save?  Often the answer is, no.

     Now, when I fix up a house, I choose a few jobs that I like doing, and have gotten experience with, and do those, and hire the rest done.  Everyone will be different.  Some of you probably have experience in construction or related trades and can do all of it yourself.  As I am getting busier, I will probably start hiring out even the jobs I like, so I can save time, and therefore save money.  I am planning to take on the role of project manager, and work on multile projects, instead of being the lone worker bee.