Question: Are there any projects that you wish you hadn’t DIY-ed? I’m in the middle of one that’s not going smoothly and I’m second-guessing my decision not to hire it out. – Holly
Answer: We get this question a lot. Looking back, it’s hard to name a finished project we regret doing ourselves. There’s a rush of pride and the satisfaction of saving money that often outweighs the pain. That said, there have been plenty of projects that made us wonder what we were thinking while we were elbow-deep in them. Some made us cry (yes, more than once). The point isn’t to stop DIYing — it’s to DIY smarter. Below are four projects that pushed us to our limits and the lessons they taught us.
#1: The Bathroom Demo. This was my first major renovation. I was still working a full-time job and we were expecting our first child, so I carved out a Saturday to remove old tile in our only full bathroom. I underestimated how much time, strength, and cleanup it would require. Older homes especially hide stubborn mortar and metal lath that turn a simple demo into a marathon. The physical exhaustion and mess were humbling.
Lesson learned: Demo work can be as time-consuming and demanding as the installation that follows. Now we plan for demo explicitly, account for the time and labor involved, and rent tools like demolition hammers when needed. Sometimes it’s worth hiring a contractor for the demo step so you can move on to the parts you enjoy and avoid sore backs and burned-out weekends.
#2: The Patio. We hired a crew for a patio at our first house, but tried to do one ourselves at our second. We had materials delivered, including three tons of gravel — and then had to move and spread it by hand. What seemed like a reasonable amount of work turned into back-breaking labor. Even with realistic expectations, the physical work and time commitment were brutal.
Lesson learned: Moving heavy materials takes more effort than you’d think. Whenever possible, arrange better deliveries, get help with hauling, or pay for labor to move materials. It’s smarter to spend a little to save a lot of physical strain and lost time.
#3: The Deck. This one tested patience and stamina more than any other. It included heavy manual labor, unfamiliar structural challenges, required passing inspections, and fell in the middle of summer heat. It dragged on for months, and there were moments I seriously considered hiring it out. In the end, finishing the deck gave me immense pride and confidence. It also taught me the value of not rushing and removing time pressure.
Lesson learned: If you can, eliminate strict deadlines and give yourself budget breathing room. A flexible schedule and a padded budget can turn panic into perseverance. The deck was one of the most rewarding projects precisely because it was the hardest.
#4: The Hardwood Floors. This project taught us the downside of a sudden deadline. Our house sold faster than expected, and we found ourselves racing to remove carpeting, paint trim, and install hardwoods before closing. Despite planning for demo and enlisting family to help, the compressed timeline turned the work into long, exhausting days and nights. Laying plank after plank under pressure is soul-draining, and we both shed tears from fatigue and frustration.
Lesson learned: Even careful plans can collapse when timelines change. Expect setbacks and be prepared to adjust your schedule or hire help when the timeline gets tight. Remember why you DIY: sometimes the goal is saving money, sometimes it’s learning skills, and sometimes it’s proving you can see a project through. Those motivations help on hard days.
When a project truly exceeds your skills or endurance, there’s no shame in hiring a professional. Over time our growing experience has made us more comfortable calling in experts for plumbing emergencies, major electrical work, structural alterations, and complicated landscaping or grading jobs. Doing some initial prep before a pro arrives can reduce costs, and watching a professional handle the worst of it is oddly satisfying — and freeing. That energy often lets us tackle another project at the same time.
In short: DIY is hugely rewarding, but plan for the messy, heavy, and uncertain parts. Account for demo work, arrange material handling, avoid unnecessary deadlines, and accept that sometimes hiring a pro is the smartest move. If you weigh those factors before you start, you can avoid many mid-project regrets and get the most out of your efforts.