I admit it. I’m proud enough to think I can tackle most home improvement projects by myself. I’m no handyman, but I’m smart enough to figure it out. Heck, there’s a whole industry devoted to convincing me I can. From Home Depot to HGTV to instructional videos online, I should be able to build a whole house, right?

Don’t buy it. It’s a myth. Sure, I can paint or install a sink or tile a floor, but the gap between those types of projects and large scale home improvement, like adding or remodeling a room, is HUGE, and for most people with busy lives, families and careers, frankly not worth pursuing.

This became really evident to me early in the small bathroom remodel that D. Dorrance & Son did for me. In about four hours, Mike had torn down the walls and reconfigured the wiring so that we would still have light. In four hours the next day he had reframed the new bathroom and the plumber had run all the PVC and copper pipe. If I had attempted either of these on my own, it would have taken months worth of evenings and weekends, hundreds if not thousands of dollars in tools, and more than a few choice words! Never mind that it would have been done poorly, without insurance, and probably not to code.

Sure, it’s tempting to look for ways to pinch pennies, but not when it comes to major changes to your home. The time doing research, the slow haul up the learning curve, the weeks that whole sections of your house are torn up and un-usable, and the cost of materials, tools, and your own sweat and tears and family time, and the potential for messing up in a way that affects the value or your ability to sell your home just don’t add up.

The bottom line is it’s worth it to have it done well and have it done right.