Designing and Building Mid-Illinois through Deciding DIY vs Hiring a Pro

Summary

In this episode, Chris and Kaitlin discuss the pros and cons of DIY home improvement projects versus hiring professionals. They explore the risks associated with DIY, emphasizing the importance of knowing when to call in experts to avoid costly mistakes. The conversation highlights safe DIY projects, the potential costs of errors, and the decision-making process for homeowners. Ultimately, the episode aims to educate listeners on making informed choices for their home renovations.

Takeaways

• DIY can save money but may lead to bigger problems.
• Not all projects are suitable for DIY; know your limits.
• Low-risk projects like painting and light fixtures are ideal for DIY.
• Call a professional for electrical, plumbing, and structural work.
• Mistakes in DIY can lead to costly repairs.
• Educating homeowners is crucial for smart decisions.
• Confidence without experience can lead to mistakes.
• Homeowners should know when to outsource work.
• The right decision at the start saves time and money.
• Good homes are built with a well-developed plan.

www.bigdogcc.com

Produced by Big Dog Media group with Big Dog Business Coaching

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:00

Welcome to Designing and Building Mid-Ellinois, one home at a time with Big Dog Construction.

SPEAKER_05 0:04

The podcast you didn't know you needed.

SPEAKER_04 0:06

It's Chris Hartzuck and Caitlin Morgini. Join us as we explore the stories, expertise, and projects shaping the future right here in Mid-Ellinois.

SPEAKER_05 0:14

Whether you're planning to build, curious about the latest trends, or just love innovative ideas, we've got insights and inspiration coming your way. And some laughs too.

SPEAKER_04 0:23

Let's go.

unknown 0:24

Big dog!

SPEAKER_01 0:26

In the military, there's no such thing as good enough. You either do the job the right way or you don't do it at all. I'm Blake Middleton of Elite Roofing Professionals and Exteriors. I'm a veteran and I brought the same mission-first mindset back to Illinois. While others talk about the way it's always been done, my team focuses on the technical precision of how a roof should be built. We use the best materials, the best technology, and a level of communication you won't find anywhere else. Your home isn't just a job, it's a commitment. Elite roofing, high standards, zero compromise, clear communication. Give us a call today.

SPEAKER_04 1:01

Hey, welcome back to Design and Build in Mid-Illinois, one home at a time. Hey, I'm your host, Chris with Caitlin. Wait, what was I gonna say today? I don't know. Hi! Hi. Well, that's right, you're bookmark our podcast. I love it. Right. Hey, today we're diving into something that can save you time and money. Or can it? Dun done. Or will it, right? Hey, this is your first time joining us. Hey, welcome. If you've been with us from the beginning, thank you for continuing your journey with us as we help mid-Elinois homeowners design smarter, build better, and make confident decisions about their homes. Plus, give our followers some entertaining conversations to listen to, a little goofiness, quirkiness, not porkiness. To say the least. That's right. And, you know, we just continue to expand our millinal mid-Illinois with our podcast and beyond.

SPEAKER_05 1:51

We really do.

SPEAKER_04 1:52

Yep. And today we're talking about something I know a lot of you love. DIY. Right? Do it yourself. Let's, I guess we should spell that out. DIY, do it yourself projects.

SPEAKER_05 2:04

I'm glad that you actually said that because I really feel like maybe the younger generation probably didn't think about what the acronym actually stood for.

SPEAKER_04 2:12

And that's weird because as we grow up, acronyms are thrown out all the time. And sometimes we like, oh, I think it means that, or maybe we can piece it to that. I don't know. But DIY, do it yourself. And that's what we're going to be talking about today. Now, listen, before we go any further, I respect it. I am the owner of big dog construction company, right? Your local window depot. But I respect DIY. I started as a DIYer. Right. Right? Eons ago. We talked, kind of talked about it last week.

SPEAKER_05 2:39

Tamra, our sweetie Tamra.

SPEAKER_04 2:41

She is DIYer. Yeah. Right. And turned it into a she's a mogul now. Right. Bum bum. A design mogul out there, right? I really do respect it. But there's something powerful about stepping back at the end of a project and saying, ah man, I did that. I did that. I did that, right? It's that pride, it's that ownership, that real as long as it looks good. Yes, but but I've also been on the other side of it, walking into homes where someone tried to save a little money and ended up creating a much, much bigger problem. That would be me. Well, you know, we that's why you're here. We'd love that you're here. We'd love that all our listeners and folks.

SPEAKER_05 3:20

I want everybody to know don't make the same mistakes that I have.

SPEAKER_04 3:24

Don't do what I do. Do as I say, not as I do. Donnie B would be proud.

SPEAKER_06 3:29

It would say.

SPEAKER_04 3:30

It would. You know, so today we're going to go back. We're going to break this down the right way where DIY makes sense and where it doesn't.

SPEAKER_05 3:38

Right.

SPEAKER_04 3:39

And how to make that decision before it costs you. And that's that's money and time, you guys. Exactly. And speaking of money, let's pay some bills. So let's talk about our 10x partner, one of our great 10x partners, elite roofing professionals. They have been busy. We've had multiple hail storms come through. Oh, hail.

SPEAKER_05 3:58

Tornado alley over here.

SPEAKER_04 3:59

Yep, definitely. And so they have been out and about taking care of the clients everywhere they can, all across Mid-Illinois. Really, everywhere that we're we're broadcasting to. We're not broadcasting, right? Because we're on the internet. We're streaming. We're streaming anywhere you find your podcast or your music, right? Right. We're right. Spotify, Apple Music, wherever you Amazon. Heartland, Amazon. Yeah, wherever you listen to your stuff, we're there.

SPEAKER_05 4:24

And that means Blake's there.

SPEAKER_04 4:25

Blake's because Elite Roofing is our 10x partner and they are there to take care of your roofing needs from the roof down. All their professionals, they know what they're talking about, years of experience, great team, great quality. Make sure you reach out to them if you're having roofing issues or you think you suspect you had some damage, they'll come out and take a look at your roof for free. Free folks, free. Give them a call at 217-851-3836 or find them on the interweb at eliteroofingprofessionals.com. So again, 217-851-3836 or Eliteroofing Professionals.com. So now that we paid that bill, and I hate saying that, but you know what? They are great partners. We're we only partner with the best, and we're we're glad they are one of our partners, along with First Choice Realty Pros, Lisa and Lydia and the team over there.

SPEAKER_05 5:16

And I think both of them value omnipresence. Omnipresence. You'll notice that, you know, elite roofing's everywhere. Being everywhere.

SPEAKER_04 5:25

Everyone at once. And hey, little little shout out. If you want to be one of our 10x partners, hey, we got a couple extra segments in our back pocket room throw out.

SPEAKER_03 5:34

You get Caitlin. You get a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_04 5:36

My gosh, you get Caitlin, right? Yeah, the big dog and Caitlin. I love it. I love it.

SPEAKER_05 5:43

That's cute.

SPEAKER_04 5:43

I don't know about that.

SPEAKER_05 5:44

We got our Halloween costumes planned.

SPEAKER_04 5:47

I'm not getting in the big dog costume.

SPEAKER_05 5:48

That's right. It wasn't specifically for you.

SPEAKER_04 5:51

It's all right. That's all right. Hey, well, I'll tell you what. The truth about DIY, the truth about doing it yourself. Here's the truth, nobody likes to say aloud. DIY isn't the problem, but doing the wrong project yourself that's the problem. Not knowing which project you can do yourself.

SPEAKER_05 6:11

Right, because not everybody listening right now. Maybe some people who are listening, I mean, are experienced and know what they're doing. Right. But I mean, if you if you gotta kinda look it up on the YouTube Well So there are some things, I get it.

SPEAKER_04 6:28

I get the YouTube thing. I've I've leaned on YouTube a little bit that I'm like, these guys don't know what the they're doing either, right?

SPEAKER_05 6:33

Well, I know it takes so long.

SPEAKER_04 6:35

I'm like Well, okay, I can't watch a 30-minute video for a two-minute fix. What the hell? Right. Right? I mean, that's what it comes down to.

SPEAKER_05 6:42

And you're like, But guys, it's there's a difference between like sanding a dresser and repainting it and distressing it and tearing out a wall. Right. That's where we need to let you guys know the difference between that.

SPEAKER_04 6:55

And because again, DIY can save you money.

SPEAKER_05 6:58

Right.

SPEAKER_04 6:59

Because granted, you know, professionals, it costs money for us to have our doors open, right? To have our fleet of vehicles, to have our employees to pay their benefits back. So it costs money, right? It costs money to do that. DIY, even though it's saving you money, it can also cost you double or more if you misjudge it.

unknown 7:18

Right.

SPEAKER_05 7:19

That's we're talking about like in the long run, you guys, even too. Like, of course, it could be like a thing you noticed right at the beginning, like you you messed up. You know, you're like, oh right, shit, I screwed up, man. But even if you think it looks nice, but what if it's like a plumbing issue or an energy issue? And then in the long run, like we always preach, your energy bills are going up, your water bills.

SPEAKER_04 7:43

Preach your sister, preach it.

SPEAKER_05 7:44

Preach it. Lisa'd be so proud of me. Preach it, teach.

SPEAKER_04 7:48

Preach and teach.

SPEAKER_05 7:49

But that's true.

SPEAKER_04 7:50

Yeah, it is.

SPEAKER_05 7:51

And the and the difference, it's a silent. Didn't we say that before? A silent harm.

SPEAKER_04 7:56

Harm.

SPEAKER_05 7:57

Like something you don't see.

SPEAKER_04 7:59

Well, I know I know one of the objections from clients that we teach our everything is the unspoken objection is the most dangerous because you don't know what it is. You can't get out of here. That's what I mean. Right.

SPEAKER_06 8:10

Silent harms.

SPEAKER_04 8:13

Well, hey, the difference between those two outcomes, it's not the effort, it's not even the confidence, it's the decision making, knowing what to take on and knowing when to bring in the pros. And that's where most people get it wrong, right? We've we've dabbled in this a little bit in past episodes, but today's episode is specifically DIY or pros.

SPEAKER_05 8:36

So I want to ask a question about this.

SPEAKER_04 8:38

It's a no question day. I'm sorry. No, go ahead.

SPEAKER_05 8:41

It's my segment. No, I'm kidding. Um, so if you're tearing out a wall, I feel like a lot of people will kind of save money like with the destruction and then like do it.

SPEAKER_04 8:54

Demolition, destruction. I'm really it's the sign of destruction is what a storm comes to causes destruction.

SPEAKER_05 9:02

The demolition, I feel like I've noticed people they'll be like, okay, well, we can do this. Right. And we'll let the contractor come and do all. But if you're tearing out a wall, don't you have to like check if things are like there? Like, is it load bear all this stuff? Like, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 9:17

Yes. And so safe DIY projects, right? And that's kind of where it is. And a lot of people are like, well, I'll do the demo, I'll save myself a lot of money. Actually, the demolition isn't a lot of the expense because it's just your labor, right? Right. It's when we start getting into the trades and stuff. So I get it, it helps. But you know, we do appreciate clients that want to um say, hey, what can I do to help our cost, or what can I do to help speed the project up, or what can I do?

SPEAKER_05 9:48

And then will you sit down and and tell them and then maybe kind of see if you feel that they're equipped to take on.

SPEAKER_04 9:56

We have. So here's the thing. I'm all about if you didn't know it yet by now, Big Dog Construction, we are an educating company. We like educating our employees, we like educating our clients, we like educating the community.

SPEAKER_05 10:08

You're you're coaching, yes.

SPEAKER_04 10:09

Yeah, we're coaching, and that's why we have this podcast. We want to educate as much as we can and support the community and support this trade industry of construction and remodeling because it's sometimes gets a bad rap. But no, we'll educate. And if someone says, Hey, can I remove that wall? And I know 90% probably it's a load bearing, and I'll be like, you know what? Most likely, love your ambition, love it. You know what you could do is we'll let you take all the drywall off both sides of it, and then let us take care of it from there.

SPEAKER_05 10:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 10:40

You know what I mean? Yeah. Let's get the dust, let them take care of the dusty, nasty part. Let us come in doing the structural part. Right.

SPEAKER_05 10:46

But then a little bit, like you had said, like a few minutes ago, even though they're working with you, the pro, essentially, they still had part in it, so they can take that pride in ownership. Like and shake and bake, and I'll I help.

SPEAKER_04 11:01

Did you say shake and bake? Shake and bake.

SPEAKER_05 11:06

That used to be my favorite meal when I was little. Thank you, baby Jesus.

SPEAKER_04 11:08

Thank you, baby Jesus. Oh, wait, you're I'm thinking of the chicken.

SPEAKER_05 11:12

You're thinking about the channel. I'm thinking of the movie Talladega Nights. So good too.

SPEAKER_04 11:15

Thank you, baby Jesus.

SPEAKER_05 11:17

But I'm glad that you said that because I think that proves even more how you treat your clients like family.

SPEAKER_04 11:22

We do. We want to help out, right? So let's start with the wins. Um, so here's where DIY makes a lot of sense. Low risk, high reward. Right? Things like painting, switch out light fixtures, basic trim work, cosmetic upgrades. These are the projects where you're not risking the integrity of the house. You're not dealing with code requirements. Structural. And if you mess it up, it's fixable without blowing your budget, right? Oh my gosh, I got paint on the trim, or I cut that trim too short. Go buy another stick of trim, put it in, right?

SPEAKER_05 11:56

The paint on the trim.

SPEAKER_04 11:57

Paint on the trim. It happens, folks. It happens, right? That's you know, and those are all great weekend projects. They put it. Right.

SPEAKER_05 12:05

I like that you said that. And it's fun. Remember what I said? How fun it is for me to watch Chris do it.

SPEAKER_04 12:10

Yeah, you're Chris. Yeah, exactly. No, folks, I'm not going to Caitlin's house and doing work for her. Her husband's name is Chris. If you're just jumping in now, we got lots of Chris. We got lots of, we are Chris Squared, Chris Cubed, whatever you want. Chris.

SPEAKER_05 12:24

We need jump back. We have to get a picture of you two to post on the page. So people get to the case.

SPEAKER_04 12:29

Then I need the AI tats on me then.

SPEAKER_05 12:33

Wait, I think I have one of those sleeves.

SPEAKER_04 12:35

I don't need that. AI grok will take care of me.

unknown 12:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 12:39

I will grok the shit out of this stuff, right? It's all good. I've made a large 10X with $100 bills coming out of the ocean down Puerto Rico.

SPEAKER_05 12:47

I can see like little the tear? Yeah, the tiers, but you need 10. Five on this side, five on this side, because you're 10 times dangerous.

SPEAKER_04 12:56

Danger. Doesn't that mean I killed somebody in prison? The tear?

SPEAKER_05 12:59

Yes, I'm laughing so much because I'm just envisioning you with those.

SPEAKER_04 13:04

Damn, that's right. Well, hey, if you're taking those on on weekend projects or evening projects, if you get home decent time, or if you want to stay up all night and do it, whatever you want to do, right? Again, building that confidence, saving you a little money. And honestly, this is where DIY shines with those projects we talked about painting, switching out live fixtures, basic, base trim work, cosmetic upgrades. Um, but here's where people get into trouble, right? They take that confidence that, like, oh, I do little Tim Allen, you know, little tool time action there. Like tool time. And I can push it too far. And we saw Tim Allen do that a lot on tool time. Push it way too far. I don't think so, Tim. Uh that's I don't think so, Chris. Right? Call a pro, no exceptions. Call a pro before you have to call 911. Ooh.

SPEAKER_05 13:55

Guys, seriously, really? Let's think about some roof projects too. I don't like people getting on the roof. One time I came home, Chris was on the roof. He was putting up Christmas lights, but I don't like to see that.

SPEAKER_04 14:08

Someone probably asked him to put up Christmas lights.

SPEAKER_05 14:12

I thought he'd stand on a ladder and like.

SPEAKER_04 14:14

It takes too much time. Walk the roof edge.

SPEAKER_05 14:17

But don't you think that's how people would get hurt? How else would people how else could people get hurt by doing that? That is true. So if you with a sledgehammer.

SPEAKER_04 14:24

You're not what? Did you say get hit with a sledgehammer?

SPEAKER_05 14:28

Like, here's the thing. One time, because we were tearing down. Remember one time.

SPEAKER_04 14:33

On a flute.

SPEAKER_05 14:34

Why has American Pie come up so much with us? I gotta know. It's a classic. But one time I was trying to, or I was trying to help take down the treehouse. This old tree house, it's not safe.

SPEAKER_04 14:44

And my by the She's a mean mom, got rid of it for her kids.

SPEAKER_05 14:47

Well, we got a new one. So this one, and I just didn't want to still go up there with neighbors and remember liability.

SPEAKER_04 14:53

Liability, GL General Insurance. That's right.

SPEAKER_05 14:56

But I took the sledgehammer and I really like underestimated how heavy they actually are.

SPEAKER_04 15:02

Well, it depends if you had a five or an eight or a 12-pound sledgehammer. Go ahead. Sorry.

SPEAKER_05 15:06

I took well, I was starting to think. I thought if it was eight, boy, I'm weak.

SPEAKER_04 15:09

I got a 20-pound sledgehammer.

unknown 15:11

All right.

SPEAKER_04 15:12

Anyway.

SPEAKER_05 15:12

That's what I'm saying. So anyway, I take it and I hit the tree house and I come back and it hits me from the momentum. And I mean, I have to stop. I only did it once.

SPEAKER_04 15:22

Did you have a short sledgehammer or a long sledgehammer?

SPEAKER_05 15:24

I would say it was kind of medium, like medium. But see, I could see people really getting hurt.

SPEAKER_04 15:31

Okay, so here's I'm a sidebar real quick.

SPEAKER_05 15:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 15:33

Here's a trick. Take this next time you have the sledgehammer, is it your sledgehammer? Do you have it at home?

SPEAKER_05 15:38

Yeah, I mean it's in my garage.

SPEAKER_04 15:40

You take the sledgehammer, right?

SPEAKER_05 15:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:41

And you hold arm's length out, straight out.

SPEAKER_05 15:43

Is this like Thor?

SPEAKER_04 15:45

Thor, right. But then you you take and bring that sledgehammer back to touch the tip of your nose with it.

SPEAKER_03 15:52

What are you doing? Then back out. No, then back out.

SPEAKER_04 15:54

It's a strength test. Oh, it's a strength test. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 15:57

Try that.

SPEAKER_04 15:58

Now, if you come in with black eyes and busted nose, I'll know you failed.

SPEAKER_05 16:01

That's hard. How'd your wrist bend like that?

SPEAKER_04 16:04

Just because you got a long sledgehammer. You just see if you can do that.

SPEAKER_05 16:08

I am gonna try that.

SPEAKER_04 16:10

Okay, folks. Uh, next week, Caitlin will have black eyes and a busted nose.

SPEAKER_05 16:14

Maybe it will straighten my nose. Yeah, it goes this way. It's not. It goes this way. It happened in seventh-grade basketball, believe it or not. I didn't.

SPEAKER_04 16:21

If I held my head like this, it doesn't look crooked.

SPEAKER_05 16:23

It's okay. It gives me character.

SPEAKER_04 16:24

Well, hey, all right. So again, calling a pro instead of 911. Right. Because people use power tools, stuff like that. Like, see? Never thought of that. I'm gonna get this. It's just battery. It's not bad. It's a battery operated saw, right? Screw your finger and screw your finger and screw cut your finger off.

SPEAKER_05 16:43

What if you drilled it?

SPEAKER_04 16:45

I have done that before.

SPEAKER_05 16:46

What do you mean? Through your hand?

SPEAKER_04 16:47

Through my finger. Through my fingertip? I literally, yeah. So I was holding two pieces of metal together on a suspended ceiling trying to get it to go together, right? And I was running the drill through for a pop ribbon. Nope. Right into the meat. Right into the meat of my fingertip. Yep. My gosh. It was just like, okay. Then you gotta back it out. Then you gotta back it out. Oh, that was like 20 years ago.

SPEAKER_05 17:07

You gotta back it out. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_04 17:10

You can't leave it in there because you're sandwiching between metal.

SPEAKER_05 17:13

I just realized you can't just pull it out. You gotta take it.

SPEAKER_04 17:15

Because you drip the meat out with it. It's all good. I'm good. Oh, that was a that's a I've had a lot of injuries. Anyway, I didn't call 911 either. I mean, I just put electrical tape on. You just lectrical tape it and you're good. That's what we do in that field.

SPEAKER_05 17:28

That's all you need.

SPEAKER_04 17:29

Lectrical tape, a little tissue or napkin or a little dirt. I love the electrical tape.

SPEAKER_05 17:34

Nothing electrical tape really can't solve, if you think about it.

SPEAKER_04 17:36

Or duct tape.

SPEAKER_05 17:37

Or duct tape.

SPEAKER_04 17:39

Hundred mile an hour gray tape got me through high school. I'll keep my headlights in.

SPEAKER_03 17:44

You got a lot of I got little tricks and tricks.

SPEAKER_04 17:46

Oh, yeah. All right, so let's get back on topic. Sorry, we're not gonna call no no one, we're gonna call a pro. So let me be very clear on this, okay? There are some areas where it's not a debate on DIY, right? Right. If your project touches electrical, you really need to call in a pro just for the safety of you getting electrocuted, right?

SPEAKER_05 18:09

Your family.

SPEAKER_04 18:10

Actually, people have misconception on the electrical. 120 volt can kill you quicker than 220 volt. Because the 220 volt will throw you because it's it's more power, it'll throw you. 120 grabs you and convulses your muscles around it and holds you. My and that's how you current will have current going through your own.

SPEAKER_05 18:32

All I think about is Jurassic Park. Like I would never know that.

SPEAKER_04 18:36

Have you ever been shocked before by electrical outlet or electrical wire?

SPEAKER_05 18:39

Like real tiny. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 18:42

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_05 18:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 18:43

Ride the lightning. I've done it before.

SPEAKER_05 18:49

So not on purpose. You physically can't let go?

SPEAKER_04 18:52

No, because what happens is it contracts your muscles. It literally you know you know the the electrical pulse things that they do to you know help muscles and stuff. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. It's it's a pulse, not a constant current. Constant current, that muscle is it's it's convulsed. It's current. It's like a Charlie horse.

SPEAKER_05 19:08

But will that kill you?

SPEAKER_04 19:10

It can kill you.

SPEAKER_05 19:11

Like, how long does that work?

SPEAKER_04 19:15

Until a breaker pops or your body just like yeah. So I was a lifeguard. I think we talked about that before. I was a lifeguard. I was 16, 15. I was 15 at the time, just got done lifeguarding, was wet. The owners of the park we were working on said, hey, there's sandwiches down in the pavilion we had left over from the daycare session. Whatever it was, right? I'm like, hey, I'm 15, I'm hungry. Yeah, he's running. I go down there, got towel wrapped around me. I'm all cool, you know, my tank top on, right? Had another guy with me. And I go down, I'm barefoot, I'm wet. I grabbed the handle of that refrigerator, and you would have thunk I got bit by a snake. It was lifting me off the ground. My feet, tops of my feet were scraped on the concrete because it was convulsing me so much because there was a short in it. I didn't know it. And literally, the guy that was with me literally pushed me to break my connection.

SPEAKER_05 20:09

Well, that was a good one.

SPEAKER_04 20:10

And I came with my hand, I literally took my thumb and hooked it in my bathing suit the rest of the day because my arm was limp. I went, I went straight to the owners and I said, if that would have been one of the little kids in the daycare, they would be dead right now.

SPEAKER_05 20:23

And think everybody's wet, you're at the pool. And but here's what I want to say.

SPEAKER_04 20:27

It was on bare concrete, refrigerators on bare concrete. Because I feel like my people's first instinct would be to Don't grab because you'll get it's like electric fence. Like grab electric fence. Hey, look, I'll hold hands.

SPEAKER_05 20:40

Now, how would he know and he's just to push you?

SPEAKER_04 20:43

That was well, he was older, he was 20. Oh, well, he was like little punk. He thought I was he at first he thought I was fake, he thought I was goofing off until he saw the tops of my feet like off the ground. He's like, this dude's possessed.

SPEAKER_05 20:54

Oh no, I'm getting electrified. Wild.

SPEAKER_04 20:58

Yeah. So again, call the pros when it comes to anything electrical, guys.

SPEAKER_05 21:02

Let that be a lesson to you.

SPEAKER_04 21:03

But see, if that'd been 220, it would have popped me, it would have popped me back.

SPEAKER_05 21:07

And see, here we are again, talking about like the immediate effects. If you screw up, yeah. What about long-term effects? You wire it wrong, starts a fire.

SPEAKER_04 21:17

Burns your house down. Family gets trapped. Yeah, you don't want that. Yeah. Yeah. One of the other projects of other projects not to touch is call on the pros is plumbing. I know you're gonna say that. Just don't. Just you don't want to back up the pooper. Come on.

SPEAKER_05 21:28

You're sick. I can't even look at the smell.

SPEAKER_04 21:32

Oh, oh, there goes the pooper.

SPEAKER_05 21:35

A fark fan can't stop that smell, guys. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 21:39

The turtlets clogged. Clark.

SPEAKER_05 21:42

Clark. God dang it.

SPEAKER_04 21:44

Shitter's full of Clark.

SPEAKER_05 21:46

It never gets old.

SPEAKER_04 21:47

All right. The other thing is structural work. We've talked about this over and over, and I will do it until a day I'm dead.

SPEAKER_05 21:52

What about HVAC?

SPEAKER_04 21:53

Don't DIY yourself on structural stuff. Please. You will collapse a house, you'll die, you'll cl anyway. Windows are major installations, right? Just HVAC's one of those.

unknown 22:04

Right.

SPEAKER_04 22:04

Call it pro.

SPEAKER_05 22:05

Because it has to do with all the airflow and everything.

SPEAKER_04 22:08

Call a pro, no, no exceptions, right? Because when you things go wrong with that, it's not just cosmetic, right? It's not just, oh, we'll fix it later. No, you're gonna burn the house down and yeah, someone else ought to fix it later, right? Become safety issues, code violations, expensive reworks. So we talked about are you gonna save money and time or is it gonna cost you?

SPEAKER_05 22:29

And windows are literally, we've talked about it nine thousand times. Some of the most important things that need to be done correctly.

SPEAKER_04 22:36

The thing that comes up too is insurance problems, right?

SPEAKER_05 22:40

Oh yeah, Chris.

SPEAKER_04 22:41

Did you have a professional do that? No, I did my filth. Oh. Some insurance carriers will be like, sorry, you're not covered.

SPEAKER_05 22:49

Most now. I mean, they're getting stricter. They're getting stricter and stricter as each time. And like this one poor lady I saw on Facebook, something happened with her roof. And it obviously wasn't elite roofing.

SPEAKER_06 23:02

Right.

SPEAKER_05 23:03

But something happened. I I'm not gonna get this story quite right, but she went and got an insurance claim. Well, that the insurance people came back and they basically said, no, this there is no water damage. Right. Well, then the husband he can't believe it. So he peels back, and sure enough, you see water damage.

SPEAKER_06 23:22

Right.

SPEAKER_05 23:22

She doesn't want to go back to the insurance because she's scared that she's gonna get dropped. Isn't that weird? Is that is that right? Do things happen like that if you go to them several times?

SPEAKER_04 23:34

Like is it gonna Well it it if you so the only way you're gonna get an adjuster out is file a claim.

SPEAKER_05 23:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 23:40

And if you file a claim, that's now on your permanent record.

SPEAKER_05 23:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 23:44

It's kind of like an accident on your driver's license. It's there for long time before it drops off.

SPEAKER_05 23:49

I see what you mean. Right. So maybe that's what she was concerned.

SPEAKER_04 23:52

But technically that'd be the same claim, so it wouldn't be an additional claim.

SPEAKER_05 23:55

In that case, well, maybe I'll go back and call it.

SPEAKER_04 23:57

Well, there you go. You might do that.

SPEAKER_05 23:58

See, we're educating, we're helpful.

SPEAKER_04 24:00

That's that's our goal here, right? Yeah. You know, and I've seen a lot of these things firsthand. A homeowner tries to move some wiring. Now we're tearing open walls to fix it. They cut a wire too short. Oh, I can't get it. I they just open up the box, cut the wires off, and they're like, oh, there's no slack, can't pull to put a new outlet in. I would just or someone installs a window incorrectly. We literally have, we're gonna be doing a job here coming up soon where DI wire or I'd hate shuddered to say maybe it was an inexperienced professional that took a double hung window, double hung as they slide up, up and down. Yeah, I have those double hung window and they installed it horizontally as a sliding window.

SPEAKER_05 24:42

No, Chris. Oh, yeah. Chris, you're lying.

SPEAKER_04 24:45

And then they had water issues down below in the lower apartment. I wonder why. Because there's holes in a double hung on the sides that are now on the bottom. That water now drains.

SPEAKER_05 24:54

Chris, how could they not see the locks? That window fits in this hole. Let's do it. Do your research, please.

SPEAKER_04 25:01

Yeah. So again, you got water intrusion, insulation use, use long-term damage and rye. It just on and on and on. And this is where cheap DIY becomes expensive very, very fast.

SPEAKER_05 25:15

Because think all you're gonna have to do, you're gonna have to cut out the wall, everything.

SPEAKER_04 25:19

Well, this was this was on a third-story apartment, and it got into second story apartment below it. So it only affected on the first the third floor apartment just below the window. But then it was the ceiling and the upper pub above the window below. So it's just a mess. Crazy stuff. But crazy, I say. Anyway, this is where you know your $2,000 turns into a ten thousand dollar mistake real fast.

SPEAKER_05 25:46

That's a huge jump, guys.

SPEAKER_04 25:47

Yep, yep. So let me give you a real real world version of this, right? I've seen homeowners try to save $2,000, just trying to keep the project affordable, which we're here to help do that, right? We talked about the elephant, one bite at a time, the elephant will get consumed. Makes sense, right? No, no, but then something goes wrong. They're like, okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna save two grand and and do this, but then something goes wrong. Now instead of finishing the job, we're fixing the mistake first, and that $2,000 decision now turns into $10,000 real quick, and that's not saving money. That's paying twice, thrice, five times in that case, and that's the trap that people get into. I can do it myself because it doesn't feel like a bad decision in the moment until it is.

SPEAKER_05 26:38

And it that goes back to the big dog game plan. I mean, realistically, and giving the the allowances or contingen what am I?

SPEAKER_04 26:45

Contingency in there for certain things and contingency money to hold place for unforeseen.

SPEAKER_05 26:52

I'm gonna be honest, I'm not gonna say this right. I'm not a penny pincher at all. Like I will truly Chris to see splurge on money. Me, I would much rather pay a professional because I know it's gonna be done right, then I'm not gonna have to worry about it anymore, and then it's gonna be done the way I want. Because I'm not scared to communicate to someone in my house.

SPEAKER_04 27:10

Oh, you're scared to talk?

SPEAKER_05 27:14

But I want to stop being penny pincher. I I hate that word because I know that's kind of like negative.

SPEAKER_04 27:21

Um penny saved is a penny earned.

SPEAKER_05 27:24

You know, but you know, not really. I do know what you're saying. And that's still a negative word. But I just when it comes to this, conservative with your money. Okay, that's more professional. Good job, conservative with your money.

SPEAKER_04 27:35

Right.

SPEAKER_05 27:35

So I but I feel like this is not something that you should really be conservative with.

SPEAKER_04 27:41

Well, no, again, like we talked about earlier in this segment was you know, painting and trim and light fixtures to a certain degree, if you're comfortable doing that. But again, I had the mentality. I did. I can do this. I'm young, I'm strong. This before the YouTube world, like I'll figure it out. I'll go ask Joe Blow down the road or I'll ask my neighbor, my boomer neighbor over there, who knows what to do, right? He shoot, he grown up here all his life doing his shit.

SPEAKER_05 28:07

You know, you that was a good accent. You probably learn little pieces from all these people. I'm not saying they taught everything they taught you was right, but you can take little pieces from people, and that's what you're doing.

SPEAKER_04 28:19

It's enough to be dangerous. And I was that way. And then I here's what would happen. I would dive into it and crap. Prime ex oh my god, prime example.

SPEAKER_05 28:32

Is this the tile?

SPEAKER_04 28:33

Oh my gosh, no, toilet involves a turret. A turtlet. Right? Invives a turlet. So where I used to work, my buddies would come over, you know, Fridays after work. We'd get pizza, hang out, play Nintendo at the time, right? All this stuff. And so my bathroom of my house was at the end of the hallway. The door literally was in the hallway. And anytime the guys go in there, we just do goofy shit, right? I'd have tennis ball and I'd take and I'd bounce it, right? And bounce against the door just to annoy the shit out of me. I threw the ball down the hallway to bounce right at the same time he opened the door. Wait in the toilet. The ball went down the toilet as he flushed it. It, you know, was flushed, opened the door because the toilet was right by the door, flush, handle, grab the knob, pull. The toilet ball went down the toilet. I'm like, okay.

SPEAKER_06 29:22

That's so bad.

SPEAKER_04 29:23

I'm like, all right, so it went, you know, water's clean, right?

SPEAKER_06 29:27

We're good.

SPEAKER_04 29:28

Oh no. Oh no. Later that night, middle of the night, I go take a shit. It doesn't go down. Not doesn't even go down. And you know, in the middle of the night, like I'm flushing several times. Now what's happening? All the water's filling in the bowl and the poop's coming down. I'm like, oh my God, that damn tennis ball. So the next morning I call a pro. Hey, oh well, you can take the toilet off, do this, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Like, oh, I can do that. No problem, right? So I take the toilet off after I get the poop water out of there, right?

SPEAKER_05 29:58

So you took the actual toilet off.

SPEAKER_04 30:00

I took the toilet off, unbolted it, unhooked the water, took the toilet off.

SPEAKER_05 30:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 30:05

Out into the driveway, right? And I'm out there fighting and cussing with this son of a bitch for hours. Hours. Hours. I have a hose. Yeah, I'm like, hours. I have a hose. I'm shoving it in one end, shoving it in the other, and all the things.

SPEAKER_05 30:22

Oh, you're getting the e what is that, ealing?

SPEAKER_04 30:25

Yeah, but I'm using a water hose, right? Like, and and I can literally hear the ball like this part, boop, that part, and like in the throat. You know, it has that throat in there. And I could hear it. I'm like, what the heck? And so at this point, I'm frustrated. It's a Saturday now. Oh, you're hating out. It's a Saturday. She's young. And now it's getting late in the afternoon. I'm like, crap, I'm gonna have to buy a new damn toilet because it's a one toilet house. It's a one-toiled house.

SPEAKER_05 30:49

And you got you got people coming over here.

SPEAKER_04 30:51

In the middle of the day, I'm going in there peeing over the hole in the floor just so I have a place to pee, right? I know you're laughing, right? I can do it. Luckily, I live by myself. So like no women have to hover, like covercraft mode, right? So I'm like, all right, I'm gonna have to call. And where I lived, there wasn't like big box stores, right? Right. They're like 45 minutes to an hour away. Yeah, yeah. Like, oh my god, I'm gonna have to buy one. I can't afford a toilet. I'm da-da-da. I've never put a new toilet in before and all this stuff. I'm just I'm literally ready to take a sledgehammer to this toilet. Oh boy. I am. I take I have it on its side because I'm hosing this way, hosing this way. I had it on its side and I sit it up. Next thing in there, the ball rolls out of the frickin' driveway. I'm like, are you kidding?

SPEAKER_05 31:34

I mean I'm like, wait, I gotta tell you something. This whole time, I thought the ball went down into the pipe.

SPEAKER_03 31:44

Oh no, I thought so too.

SPEAKER_05 31:46

It was still in the toilet. It was in the toilet.

SPEAKER_03 31:48

I'm fighting with the toilet. I'm fighting with the toilet.

SPEAKER_05 31:52

Okay, this is bizarre. I don't even, I have never and I bet you were getting so mad because you were hearing it. Oh, I could hear it.

SPEAKER_04 32:01

I'm gonna be honest, I would have been like I at the time I was young, I was in early 20s. I'm like, I got damn tennis. I got this. I'm out there the water hose. This is after I already dealt with the floaters, right, in the house, right? Bucketing it out and all that stuff. Now I'm outside my I'm past this. My toilet was really, really clean when it went back in.

SPEAKER_05 32:22

See?

SPEAKER_04 32:22

But that's where if I would have one, not been goofing off, but come on, what 20-year-old.

SPEAKER_05 32:28

That was a total freak accident a little bit.

SPEAKER_04 32:30

It was a hell of a learning experience that God said, we're gonna teach you a lesson today, son. We're gonna teach you a lesson in patience, not to goof off, let guys piss in private and not.

SPEAKER_05 32:41

Yeah, yeah. That's right, guys.

SPEAKER_04 32:43

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_05 32:44

Give people their privacy.

SPEAKER_04 32:45

So, so that cost me time. That cost me almost a whole Saturday. And time is money, right? And so this is where if I would have just called the pro, you know, he was kind of laughing when I called him on that Saturday morning. You know, I could hear him laughing. And, you know, if I would just call and said, Hey, can you come do this, all this, you know, he would have probably told me, hey, it'll be Monday before I can get there. And, you know, he's like, I think he quoted me a price to come out. I was like, Well, I can't afford that. I'm getting my 20s, well, in my own, right? Right. Just blew it all on pizza and beer the night before. Yeah, you know, and a pack of tennis balls.

SPEAKER_05 33:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 33:18

So that's where this stuff kind of comes into play.

SPEAKER_05 33:20

And just yeah, the important stuff.

SPEAKER_04 33:22

Just call the pro. I mean, because it could have cost me buying a whole new toilet if I would have gone through with the sledgehammer idea, right? Or worst, if it would have gone into the pipes of the house. Right. Then I'm tearing out pipes and plumbing in the basement and all this stuff, or it went out further into the sewer, the yard, and then you're gonna be.

SPEAKER_05 33:41

Or some people realistically would not have been able to probably tell if it was in the toilet or the pipe.

SPEAKER_04 33:48

Well, I took, so here's how I knew on that. So I skipped a segment there. I took five-gallon buckets of water and was pouring into the flange of the floor to make sure it was taking water. And it was taking water. It's just in your brain. And none of the other sinks were clogged. They were the vanity sink was taking water and going right and it wasn't backing up on the floor. So I knew it was like something in the toilet.

SPEAKER_05 34:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 34:08

I found a ball.

SPEAKER_05 34:09

This is bizarre.

SPEAKER_04 34:10

Yeah. Yeah. I kicked it down the street after it rolled out.

SPEAKER_05 34:13

I wish I could have seen that.

SPEAKER_04 34:15

Oh my God.

SPEAKER_05 34:15

I was just, damn you, get on there.

SPEAKER_04 34:18

I was channeling a Donnie B and I didn't even know Donnie B at the time.

SPEAKER_03 34:22

Damn it, KD B. You and your tennis balls. Right.

SPEAKER_04 34:26

All right. All right. So here's how to decide. Let's let's get in the last segment here. Talk about here's how to decide, DIY or pro. So how do you actually make the right call? Not to the plumber like I had to, right? Here's the filter. We're talking filter, right? We can filter this, right? For you, you've been trend. Ask yourself these questions if I mess this up. What's the risk? In my case, I took the toilet off. I'm not gonna have a pooper to use if I mess something up, right? That's a big risk. I should have right there, like, but in my brain, ah, the ball's in here. I'll just whoop whoop.

SPEAKER_05 34:57

Right. And you guys with families, I mean, that is something that needs to be taken more seriously about how big is the risk.

SPEAKER_04 35:06

And then will this affect the value of my home?

SPEAKER_05 35:11

We've been preaching.

SPEAKER_04 35:13

If I mess up. Do I actually have the tools and the skills to do this right? Right? Sometimes people like, oh, I'll just go rent the tool I need and I'll watch a YouTube video to get trained on that tool. You're right. On how to do it tools. That's why they have rental sections. It's not just for contractors, it's for the DIYers.

SPEAKER_05 35:35

I don't think that should be legal.

SPEAKER_04 35:37

Oh, it's okay. Again, there are some, again, this is.

SPEAKER_05 35:40

Can you just go rent that big machinery?

SPEAKER_04 35:42

You can go rent. You right now could go rent a skid steer.

SPEAKER_05 35:46

Now that's tear some shit up.

SPEAKER_04 35:50

And tear some shit up. Driving down the street in a skid steer.

SPEAKER_05 35:53

Hey, Chris.

SPEAKER_04 35:54

And now, see, I started in Skid Seer. I I did that. I rented a Skid Seer. I had no right to be on a Skid Steer when I was 18, 19 when I rented the thing. I had a driver's license. I could rent it, right?

SPEAKER_05 36:06

Dude, that's wild.

SPEAKER_04 36:07

Drill the thing hooked onto my S10.

SPEAKER_05 36:08

I thought you had to have like some sort of like testense that you had to take a test.

SPEAKER_04 36:13

No, heck, they don't care. They're making their rental money. They got you sign the box insurance on it.

SPEAKER_05 36:18

Okay, guys, this is what we're talking though about decision making. Really think about your old brain. Like I even I'm a confident person, but I know, like you said, I ain't got no business with any sort of machinery.

SPEAKER_04 36:32

Right. Right. And so here's the thing. So so if you're asking yourself these questions, and here's the big one, if you hesitate, that's your answer. That's your answer. Exactly. Because confidence without experience, that's where mistakes live. Right? Confidence without experience, that's where you're gonna mess up. And smart homeowners, they don't try to prove anything, they make decisions that protect their home. So that's the best thing. Because if you want to protect your home, ask those questions. Please ask yourself those questions. And that's really the importance of this podcast today, this episode, is again, I respect DIYers. I I am I am a product of being a DIY. We talked about my bathroom projects I did for myself and then other people like this.

SPEAKER_05 37:20

Well, you're not trying to like judge or anything. You're just trying to help people to literally save money and time, and you're telling them how you learned from that.

unknown 37:29

Right. Right.

SPEAKER_04 37:32

I haven't even scratched the surface with my story. Holy crap. I am a I'm like an ogre. I'm an onion. I got a lot of layers to peel. We've only peeled back about three or four right now.

SPEAKER_05 37:44

But I do think that that is And I'm a Vedalia. I think that people should for some reason DIY has has this kind of trend or fad.

SPEAKER_04 37:55

HGTV.

SPEAKER_05 37:56

Right.

SPEAKER_04 37:57

Pinterest.

SPEAKER_05 37:58

Pinterest.

SPEAKER_04 37:58

I just think they enable a lot of people that it shouldn't enable.

SPEAKER_05 38:04

Yes, it romanticizes it. It's not romantic, guys. Like it's not.

SPEAKER_04 38:08

So it romanticizes it. Yes, I know. That's interesting. At the end of the day, though, this isn't about doing everything yourself. And it's not about hiring everything out either. It's about being smart. It's about knowing where you can step in and where you need the right partner. Because smart homeowners, homeowners. I was getting nervous there. Homeowners don't try to do everything. They know what to own and do themselves and what to outsource, right? Correct. So that's why, hey, we've got that we launched last week, right? The big dog remodel game plan. No, I contact us and you can download that now. I think it's uh one, two, three, about five pages, four or five pages checklist.

SPEAKER_05 38:53

Up on the page.

SPEAKER_04 38:53

The big dog remodel game plan checklist.

SPEAKER_05 38:56

And guys, it's easy to read. It's not like a I know he's saying five pages, but it's checklists, has checkboxes. Yeah. Right. There's only like five little things.

SPEAKER_04 39:03

What problem am I solving? Space, function, outdated look. Right. What does what does, in quotations, done right, look like to me?

SPEAKER_05 39:10

I'm gonna tell you what that big dog game plan. See, now I can't.

SPEAKER_04 39:14

Game plan land.

SPEAKER_05 39:15

That's really 10x of you. What?

SPEAKER_04 39:18

Giving that out to folks? Heck. Yeah. Why not? I told you I went to the doghouse deep in the crevices of the doghouse and pulled that out. I said didn't, but that was the case. We use it all the time. Deep topics. What was that?

SPEAKER_03 39:30

Deep in the crevices.

SPEAKER_04 39:32

If I heard that come out of a doctor's mouth, I'd be scared and running. Deep in the crevices.

SPEAKER_05 39:37

I don't even want to say what comes to my mind.

SPEAKER_04 39:39

Hey guys, what you doing in here? All right. Hey, we need to close out on that one. Oh my gosh. Hey, if you're looking TMI.

SPEAKER_05 39:48

Oh, that's the queen of TMI.

SPEAKER_04 39:51

If you're looking at a project right now and you're not sure where that line is in the sand of DIY this side, pro that side, reach out and give us a call at 217-970-7340, and we'll walk you through it. No pressure, no sales pitch, no. Just real guidance so you can make the right decisions. Because at big dog construction, we're not looking for that one-time client. We're looking at building lifetime relationships with you. And so that means helping you guide through with the big dog game plan, remodel game plan, and you figure it out on your own. Great. We want to be your partner in that.

SPEAKER_05 40:26

Right, partner.

SPEAKER_04 40:27

So because one day you're going to need to call us up and say, hey, I think I'm beyond my boundary. I need to get to the other side of the line, right? So with that, thanks for tuning in today to designing and building Mid-Illinois one home at a time, or Uno. Ah, France, get that crap out of here, right?

SPEAKER_05 40:43

I got to learn Italian. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_04 40:45

And remember, the right decision at the start saves you from the wrong outcome at the end. So until next time, if you're unsure where to start, talking to a trusted local professional can save you time, money, and ultimately stress. So thanks for listening to Design and Building Mid-Illinois One Home at a Time. If this episode helped you, be sure to share it with a friend. And remember, good homes aren't built overnight. They are built with a target in mind, well-developed plan, the big dog remodeling game plan checklist here with a trusted professional, and we will see you next time.

SPEAKER_00 41:16

Bye! Hey there. I'm Lisa Miller, managing broker and owner of First Choice Realty Pros. We don't just help you find a house, we help you discover home. My team and I are passionate about taking care of your needs, making the process smooth, and ensuring you get the personalized attention you deserve. Ready for the next step? Call us at 217-825-3999.

SPEAKER_07 41:43

With First Choice Realty Pros, you've got a team that's got your back.com.

SPEAKER_04 42:32

Until next time, keep designing and building.

SPEAKER_05 42:34

See you soon.

unknown 42:36

Big Dog.

SPEAKER_02 42:37

This episode was produced by Big Dog Media Group, delivering powerful creative for brands and creators everywhere. If you're looking to take your podcast to the next level or just get started, Big Dog Media Group has you covered. Thanks for listening.