The home must be an evolving space. People will grow, which means their tastes and preferences will change as they age. Moreover, households expand as they start their families or accommodate guests, which means the indoor environment will have to adjust. While you can find ways to make space inside the home, you might encounter a point where you have to perform renovations. Fortunately, 75% of homeowners have DIY capabilities, which means they can handle those adjustments well.
However, transforming the home means facing major renovations, and there might be a few projects far more complicated for DIY efforts. As a result, homeowners might want to become home upgrade pros. They can develop the skills and knowledge to ensure success for their projects and make their efforts beneficial for the household. Of course, proper planning and preparation can accomplish those renovations and even offer services. Still, home upgrade pros will have to pick specific features for practice, and these are a few you can try to develop your DIY mastery.
1. New Roofs
DIY mastery will require you to take on challenges that put your skills to the test, and no other home feature offers it better than the roof. Often considered a dangerous and complicated project to undertake, Roofing requires the proper skills, knowledge, and safety practices if homeowners want to become home upgrade pros. However, it can be a task that puts you at the “pro” level, making it an exciting project to consider doing.
Of course, you can start with roofing maintenance and repairs. Performing the easier tasks allows you to work with fewer materials needed and work on prioritizing safety. Once you start to master those entry-level steps, you can build on more complicated projects like replacements or installations. However, you must consider getting assistance from an expert roofer. The professional can show you the ropes when installing or replacing a roof. You can observe the roofers from afar, learning the fundamental step-by-step procedures necessary to accomplish it. Old shingles removal, material replacement, vent installations, and putting on new shingles can be achievable, allowing you to eventually work on your own roof project or even provide it as a professional service.
2. Patio Upgrades
Unfortunately, roof installation might be too advanced and demanding to consider during your initial attempts to become one of the renowned home upgrade pros in your neighborhood. As a result, you might want to take on a project considered major, but not put you in any danger like falling off a great height. You might also want to consider projects where mistakes are forgivable. If that is the case, a project that does not involve restructuring the home might be suitable for your efforts, bringing you directly to the path of outdoor amenities like patios.
Patios are essential outdoor amenities for a home that can contribute well to both curb appeal and home functionality. It is an outdoor space where social gatherings happen often, making it ideal as a practice ground for home upgrade pros. You can experiment with different DIY strategies such as carpentry, electrical work, and even roof structuring, but you won’t have to compromise your home’s structure because it is often a detached area. You can also work on improving your designs with the patio by treating it as another room. Patio enclosures can provide that closed environment, allowing you to learn how to install entry points like windows and doors. Upgrading your patio can be ideal as a starter DIY project on your way to becoming a pro, allowing you to get creative while making room for mistakes.
3. Plumbing Repairs
Before you can call yourself one of the home upgrade pros, you must know what to do with whatever is happening inside the walls. Electrical wiring will be the first that comes into mind, but you must also be aware of what to do with plumbing. The home’s plumbing system is responsible for directing water into different areas where you expect it, like the kitchen and bathroom. If you want to be a pro, you must take on the challenge of handling the plumbing system.
Fortunately, you can find plenty of ways to learn about plumbing on your way to becoming one of the home upgrade pros in your neighborhood. The first step is to research online for basic plumbing tutorials. Fixing a simple leak, patching cracked pipes, and installing a bidet or a new shower head can all be your entry point to becoming a pro. You can also seek guidance from local plumbers. Try to observe them at work and ask questions about their projects to get a complete understanding of what to do. Certifications are necessary if you want to include plumbing in your list of home services skills. You can get an internship at your local plumbing company and take the test, allowing you to become great at plumbing. It might take a while, but you can officially call yourself a professional plumber.
4. Septic Pumping
Taking your plumbing skills to the pro level can be ideal, but you might want to take the next step forward. Handling plumbing is often dirty work that average homeowners might not want to get involved in, which means they will pay a hefty fee for professional services. One plumbing network feature they might want to stay away from is the septic tank, which means it can be your gold mine as one of the community’s most trusted home upgrade pros.
If you notice something wrong with the drainage system in your toilet, sink, and shower, you might be experiencing septic tank issues. If there is nothing wrong with the mechanisms of those fixtures, you might have a problem with the septic tank leach field. You can start reaching for your septic tank, causing it to flood. You can pump the standing water out of the septic tank yourself, allowing you to learn the basics of how to handle septic tank issues. However, you might need a professional to show you the basics of septic tank repair if needed. You might need power tools for those, but they are something you can learn on your way to becoming one of the home upgrade pros.
5. Emergency Generators
The home’s electrical system can be exciting to deal with if you want to become one of the home upgrade pros, but it can be very dangerous to handle them without skill and knowledge. Unfortunately, the electrical system is not something you can experiment with. However, you can still try to learn the basics like rerouting wires, testing outlets, and covering exposed wiring. Still, you might want something more suitable for the home upgrade pros, which is what installing a home generator can give you.
Emergency generators are essential in every home, but not every property has one. You can install the system yourself, allowing you to ensure you always have electricity in events like blackouts due to weather or faulty wiring. The challenge is finding the most suitable home generator for your property, with portable and inverted generators among the top choices. You might need to tap an electrician to show you how to install generators properly, but you can offer it as a professional service afterward.
6. Upgraded Heating
At the end of the day, it is all about homeowners’ comfort. People need to feel comfortable and relaxed whenever they are indoors, which can be challenging when they have to survive the freezing temperatures of winter. As a result, homeowners need to find ways to stay warm, which is why they usually ensure that the heating system is always functional.
Providing heating services can be a great venture for home upgrade pros to try. Whether it is an indoor fire pit, a furnace, or a smart thermostat, learning the basics of repairing those features can be an exciting journey. For a thermostat, you can check the circuits, switches, and settings to ensure homeowners remain comfortable. For a furnace, you might have to learn how to repair the furnace door and gas valve. They might be basic tasks, but they are stepping stones to learning how to provide heating services like a pro.
7. Water Treatment
Plumbing can be fun for home upgrade pros because it is not all about maintenance and repairs. While those tasks take up most of the work, they can also be useful for installation services, particularly in water filtration. It is not the top plumbing service that homeowners consider, but it might be necessary for homes that require clean water all the time.
Tap water can be unsafe to drink, especially when the plumbing system does not have the necessary water filtration feature necessary to clean hard water. You can apply it to the plumbing system, ensuring that homeowners have access to clean and safe drinking water from the tap. Water filtration systems are also essential for people when bathing, ensuring that their skin and hair do not suffer from the hard water minerals. Once you learn how to install them, you can offer your services to homeowners who might not even have any idea they need a water filtration system.
8. Residential Fencing
Homes require protection, but homeowners might want to ensure that their security measures are also aesthetic. As a result, they might stay away from DIY efforts and consider hiring home upgrade pros. If you want to be the pro they rely on for that reason, you should learn residential fencing. A fence can provide the privacy and protection needed to keep trespassers away from the property while ensuring that the barrier looks appealing.
Wood and metal are good materials for building a residential fence, but there is a case for pursuing a composite fence. A composite fence is an eco-friendly feature combining wood fibers and recycled materials with proper painting. It does not rot like wood or rust like metal, ensuring that the fence’s aesthetic appeal will last long. You can learn how to craft composite fencing within your own backyard, allowing you to create several panel styles. Once you have enough for property, you can take photos of the results and make it part of your portfolio.
9. Garage Door Repairs
The garage door is one of the most aesthetically pleasing features of a home’s facade, so homeowners will pay attention to it. Unfortunately, it is exposed to weather elements and debris, which means rust and stains might be a constant problem. Unfortunately, garage doors will also suffer from mechanism issues, failing to serve their purpose efficiently whenever you have to park your car. As a result, you might want to consider garage door repairs as part of your skill set.
You can approach garage door repairs in many ways when trying to become a home upgrade expert. You can pursue repairs on electrical issues that cause faulty mechanisms. You can also learn repainting or buffing to ensure the entry point remains flawless. However, the best service you can provide is garage door installation, replacing the facade feature for homeowners who might not know how to perform it.
10. Seamless Foundation
You can love a lot of things when trying to become one of the best home upgrade pros in your town, but there will always be one challenge that takes you to the next level. Any project that involves restructuring a home will require professionals, with taking down walls, expanding spaces, and renovating rooms as the major projects you can learn and master. However, you can also take on the ultimate level by offering foundation repair services. The home’s foundation provides a base for the property, and learning how to deal with that ensures the utmost confidence from your clients. You can watch a contractor perform renovations, ensuring you can take their skills and add them to your skillset. If you know how to perform foundation repair, you can truly call yourself a home upgrade pro.
Home upgrade pros have their favorites, with some of the tasks above among the top choices. However, you can choose your own path and become an expert in specialized areas beyond this list. In the end, it is you who selects what path to take in your efforts to become a home upgrade pro.
