Honey-Do Handyman Helps with Home Renovation
When you bought your first home, you likely felt a flood of emotions: excitement, dread, and anticipation. This feeling is common with the high prices in the housing market, where people buy homes within their budget but not in their style. That’s why Jeremy Lefler, best known as the Honey-Do Handyman, started his own DIY handyman business.
As a professional DIYer and handyman, Lefler shared his advice and experience in everything home renovation-related.
Built By Hand with the Honey-Do Handyman
Jeremy Lefler the Honey-Do Handyman, founded his business, Built By Hand, in 2015. Lefler says that Built By Hand is a handyman business involving anything from changing your lightbulbs to complete room renovation.
Lefler’s father worked as an electrician and considered himself a handyman. This exposed Lefler to this kind of work early and he helped his dad on home projects. Lefler’s brothers also followed suit, with one working in construction and the other doing professional flooring. You could say it runs in the family!
Lefler wanted to find an extra source of revenue and thought he could apply his many skills. He found lots of work in a senior community close to home where he built a large customer base. Some needed help with trivial tasks like taking down Christmas decorations or fixing broken appliances. Others had big projects in mind such as pool retiling, removing their fireplace, or redoing all their floors!
Lefler performs a lot of different DIY-style work when working on these bigger projects. People want to update or renovate their homes, and he wants to help them accomplish it in their potentially tighter budget. Since he worked frequently in retirement communities, many clientele were on fixed incomes.
“That is really the essence of DIY: How can I achieve the image I am looking for in the simplest and safest way possible and save the most money possible?” he said.
Lefler’s Advice for Before You Start a New DIY Project
Research
Lefler believes most people can accomplish anything in their homes, but first, they must do the research. Lefler says, “I still do research. The benefit most people have now is YouTube.”
He further explains that you can pay people to build what you want up from scratch, or you can research clever ways to create a similar effect and make your projects look great.
Before beginning any project, watch videos of people who’ve done them before, get a list of tools and supplies you need, and research everything about the project. For example, if you want to build a table, research different kinds of wood, what tools you need like nails, wood glue, or both, find the best saw, and so on.
When you start to DIY, you’ll realize in the beginning there’s way more to the project than you would’ve thought. DIY work makes you appreciate the attention to detail and time professionals put in when building things.
Budget
Lefler also recommends looking at the complete financial investment before starting a project. Some people want to update a part of their home, but look at wood or tools, feel they are too expensive, and want to look into something cheaper. Include all of this in your research!
Not getting the right wood or tools, might cost you so much more in the long run! Depending on the project, if you want to skip short of the guaranteed quality, and attempt to save money by buying 50 things for $10 instead of one thing for $150, you might realize at the end that you would’ve spent less if you invested in the quality item first. You must also look at durability and life expectancy. It may be cheaper overall right now, but if it only lasts you three months, then you’ll spend more money redoing the project every three months than if you did it once and it lasts three years. Evaluate all time, costs, and materials before any project.
Invest in the Best You Can Afford
Lefler’s last advice to any beginning DIYer is to invest in the tools. He says Lowe’s and Home Depot offer great options with great quality at different price points. Some tools are a little more expensive and can seem overwhelming when you start. Becoming a serious DIYer though, is worth the investment.
Lefler still gets tools to this day. He says every new project, he either upgrades his tools or buys a brand-new one. Some tools will make sense over time. You may invest in some nice paint rollers or brushes when you begin, but you may get to the point where you can invest in a paint gun. It takes time.
Do your research and know where you can get quality. Though a little more time-consuming tools now, as you progress, you can get those amazing tools that get the job done nicely and quickly.
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DIY Projects in General
Home DIY projects will depend largely on your style and home, but the possibilities are endless! From the floors to the ceiling, the yard to the lighting, there are many ways to transform your space to your needs and wants. Some of the most commonly seen DIY projects include kitchen renovation, adding fire pits to the backyard, and adding storage into the home.
Some projects require many hours and tools for complete room transformation. Other projects require a quick trip to the store and determination. Some of the most common and hot renovations you can do to transform your home include moldings and wallpaper.
Moldings typically cover the corners of the floor-to-wall or wall-to-ceiling. People now add moldings to the wall itself. This simple project helps add depth to the wall and fills an otherwise blank canvas. Some people let the mold speak for itself while others add symmetrical lighting or photos to fill the space in the middle which makes the moldings work as a frame.
Other people spruce up their walls with high trim and wallpaper. Modern wallpaper boasts strong adhesion and easy application, even for the new DIYer. Lefler says wallpaper offers a wonderful alternative to those who want to transform their room on a budget. Many people even use wallpaper instead of real tile backsplash in their kitchens to create a stylish look on a tighter budget.
Know When to Bring in a Professional
Not all DIY projects are recommended though. Some people have taken to painting tile or marble. Whether they want to spruce up their bathroom or change their kitchen countertop, they often have a tight budget and want to transform the space without the financial investment. Lefler doesn’t advise these kinds of renovations. For one, they won’t last. The humidity and footprints in the bathroom, and the assumed frequent use of a kitchen counter will scrape the paint. With the kitchen counter, there is also a concern about cross-contamination with the paint and any food being prepared.
Anytime you clean the bathroom or kitchen counter you’ll also see it slowly deteriorate until it’s gone. Lefler proposed a better alternative to the butcher block. This applies similarly to wallpaper but is specifically designed to handle water, knives, etc. allowing it to be applied to your countertop. This helps you stick to a smaller budget and make it last, unlike the paint.
Make it a part of your research into a DIY project to determine whether the project is something you can properly and safely do yourself, or if it’s something you need to call in a professional like Lefler to help you with.
Get in Touch With the Honey-Do Handyman
I was excited about our first home, but I also felt disappointed. While the home fit our budget, I found many aspects of it unappealing. I disliked the vinyl flooring, the floor plan, the lack of storage, and more. Calling in someone to help like the Honey-Do Handyman can make all the difference with making your house into a dream home!
If you want help on your next DIY project or would like to pick Lefler’s brain for some advice, reach out to the Honey-Do Handyman. Find him on Instagram and TikTok and check out his videos for tips and tricks. And, check out his LinkTree for recommendations on products and other things.
Whether you want a new kitchen backsplash, a whole new bathroom, or just need help changing your air filters, Lefler has your back. There’s no project you can’t do together!
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