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10 DIY projects to tackle before summer ends
By Leah L. Culler of MSN Real Estate
Want to insert some productivity into the tail end of your lazy summer? We have gathered some great do-it-yourself projects, with the help of DIYornot.com and some of our partner sites. The couple behind DIYornot.com, Katie and Gene Hamilton, have remodeled 13 houses and have written about home improvement for 30 years. They wrote "Home Improvement for Dummies" and several other books in the "Dummies" series. They know which projects are doable for homeowners — and which to leave to the pros.
We'll start with some easy projects and work our way into the more difficult ones, for those of you who are already fairly fluent in DIY. With each project, we'll tell you how long it will take, how much it will cost and the difficulty level. And, if we know, we'll tell you how much you can save by doing it yourself.
Keep in mind that cost estimates are just that: estimates. Materials may cost more or less where you live. This list of projects is intended to give you ideas and some basics on materials and steps, but be sure to do your research before starting any home-improvement job.
Information on time required and DIY and professional costs are national estimates provided by DIYorot.com, except where noted.
- MSN Living: How to clean everything white
10 DIY projects to tackle before summer ends
Revive your lawn
Difficulty: Easy
Time required: 4 hours
Supplies: Rake, lawn seed, fertilizer, power aerator
Cost estimate: $200
What a pro would charge: $386, for a 100-square-foot patch of lawn
Your savings: 48%
This job doesn't require a lot of time or know-how, but you will need to be around to give your lawn some TLC on a regular basis. To start, you'll want to remove weeds, rake and level the soil, and fertilize and seed. You may even want to rent a power aerator to loosen the soil and create drainage; a one-day rental at $90 is included in the project cost.
According to DIYornot.com, the scope of the job depends on the condition of the soil and the extent of the damage. Your follow-up work will involve watching for new growth and protecting it, and watering the seedlings until they are strong and thriving.
- Get a pro-versus-DIY cost estimate for your ZIP code on DIYornot.com
- Bing: Top home-improvement disasters
- On our blog, 'Listed': Drought makes painted lawns more popular
10 DIY projects to tackle before summer ends
Power wash your siding
Difficulty: Easy
Time required: About a day, less if you have a helper
Supplies: Power washer, nonpolluting detergent, garden hose, dropcloths to protect shrubbery
Cost estimate: $160
What a pro would charge: $376
Your savings: 57%
You can make the exterior of your home look like new again with some fast-flowing water and a bit of soap. The cost for this project, also called pressure washing, is the rental of a gas-powered washer rated at 1,200 psi; that means there are 1,200 pounds of pressure per square inch of water and detergent. That also means you should be careful with it, using both hands and not pointing it at people or anything you could damage. Always follow the manufacturer's directions and wear rubber-soled shoes, not sandals. Protect electrical outlets with plastic sheeting and duct tape.
Power wash from the bottom up and start on the shady side of the house, following the sun so that the siding doesn't dry too quickly.
If your home is two stories or higher, you should rent scaffolding to wash the higher level(s); don't stand on a ladder to do it.
- Get a pro-versus-DIY cost estimate for your ZIP code on DIYornot.com
- MSN Living: How to clean everything white
10 DIY projects to tackle before summer ends
Remove wallpaper
Difficulty: Easy
Time required: 11 hours
Supplies: Wallpaper-removal gel, scoring tool, wallpaper scraper, masking tape, plastic dropcloths, paint roller, paint pan
Cost estimate: $50
What a pro would charge: $367
Your savings: 86%
You've hated that flower-pattern wallpaper since you moved into your home three years ago, but you just haven't done anything about it. The time is now. There will undoubtedly be summer days when it's just too dang hot to do an outside DIY job. Those days are perfect for this project, which requires no special skills and no experience. It can get a bit messy, though.
Move all your furniture to the center of the room or to another room, then tape plastic dropcloths to the baseboards. Roll the scoring tool over the walls. It will make tiny holes in the paper, so the wallpaper-removal gel can get through to break down the old glue and loosen the paper. Apply the remover with a paint roller, wait a bit, then scrape off the wallpaper with your scraper. When all the paper is off, wash your walls.
- Get a pro-versus-DIY cost estimate for your ZIP code on DIYornot.com
- On our blog, 'Listed': Drought makes painted lawns more popular
10 DIY projects to tackle before summer ends
Paint a room
Difficulty: Easy
Time required: 10 hours, for a 15-by-20-foot room
Supplies: Primer, paint, paint rollers and brushes, paint pan, dropcloths, painters tape
Cost estimate: $150
What a pro would charge: $764
Your savings: 80%
According to DIYornot.com, painting is the most popular project for do-it-yourselfers. Because paint and equipment are relatively inexpensive, and you can learn as you go, it's "goof proof."
To do a professional-looking job, you'll probably want to spend more time preparing the walls than you will actually painting them. Fill any nail holes with a wallboard repair compound and sand them smooth. Do the same using a wood-repair compound for any damaged woodwork or trim. And be sure to use a coat or two of primer before you start painting, so that the old color won't show through.
Find help picking your brushes or rollers, figuring out how much paint to buy and other tips and advice at Sherwin-Williams.com.
- Get pro-versus-DIY cost estimates for your ZIP code on DIYornot.com
- MSN Living: How to clean everything white
10 DIY projects to tackle before summer ends
Install a storm door
Difficulty: Easy (if the door frame is in good shape)
Time required: 2 hours
Supplies: Door and hardware
Cost estimate: $200, for the door
What a pro would charge: $353
Your savings: 43%
Home-improvement stores stock a large selection of standard doors, and many come with weatherstripping and a door closer. If your door jamb is less than perfect or the frame isn't square, you may want to hire a professional who can custom-fit the unit. Otherwise, follow the instructions that come with the door.
If your entryway needs a fresh coat of paint, consider doing that after you remove the old door and before you install the new one.
- Get a pro-versus-DIY cost estimate for your ZIP code on DIYornot.com
- Bing: Top home-improvement disasters
- On our blog, 'Listed': Drought makes painted lawns more popular
10 DIY projects to tackle before summer ends
Install a raised garden
Difficulty: Medium
Time required: 5 hours
Supplies: Lumber and hardware or a kit that comes with everything you need
Cost estimate: Varies, from less than $200 to more than $450
What a pro would charge: $560 or more
Your savings: At least 20%
You can build this raised garden bed for $187 in a few hours. Or you can order a kit from a site like eartheasy.com, which has raised beds starting at around $100. A 2-foot-high, 4-by-4-foot raised bed made of recycled material costs $450.
You'll probably want to enlist the help of a buddy for this project because you'll need to maneuver the raised bed as you put it together. If you're starting from scratch, you'll need to cut the boards to size. Here's a step-by-step guide for that $187 bed, complete with a list of materials.
- Get pro-versus-DIY cost estimates for your ZIP code at DIYornot.com
- Video: Add to your home's value with outdoor upgrades
- Sunset.com: 16 beautiful bathrooms
Cost estimates are from DIYornot.com and Sunset.com.
10 DIY projects to tackle before summer ends
Build an outdoor shower
Difficulty: Medium
Time required: 4 hours of labor, plus drying time for the sealer
Supplies: See the list here
Cost estimate: $170
This is the ultimate summer project. Who doesn't want a place to hose off outside? There are some pretty elaborate outdoor showers, but this design is basic: two wing walls and a center pole with the plumbing attached. It hooks up to the garden hose and has a simple gravel draining system, so it's not intended for long showers. Here are the step-by-step instructions.
- Sunset.com: 16 beautiful bathrooms
- Get a pro-versus-DIY cost estimate for your ZIP code on DIYornot.com
- Bing: Top home-improvement disasters
- On our blog, 'Listed': Drought makes painted lawns more popular
Cost estimate from Sunset.com
10 DIY projects to tackle before summer ends
Install a garden pond
Difficulty: Medium, but time-consuming
Time required: 37 hours
Supplies: Landscaping materials and pond kit, which includes liner, pump, filter, tubing and fittings
Cost estimate: $600, for a kit and landscaping materials for a 6-by-8-foot pond
What a pro would charge: $1,920
Your savings: 69%
This is an ambitious project, but the savings make it well worth the effort. You'll site the pond by laying down an outline for the edges. Then you will excavate the area, lay down padding and underlayment, install the liner, build a rock border and install the filtration system.
There is no shortage of DIY instructions for this project online: This Old House has instructions for building a 40-square-foot pond in six hours for less than $300. Popular Mechanics has instructions for a pond you can build in two days; this one used 3 tons of fieldstone.
- Get pro-versus-DIY cost estimates for your ZIP code on DIYornot.com
- Video: Add to your home's value with outdoor upgrades
10 DIY projects to tackle before summer ends
Install a patio
Difficulty: High; this is a long, strenuous job
Time required: 45 hours
Supplies: Landscape fabric, brick pavers, sand, gravel, shovel
Cost estimate: $1,100, for a 15-by-20-foot brick patio
What a pro would charge: $2,275
Your savings: 51%
No two patios are exactly alike. The estimates for this job are for a 15-by-20-foot brick patio, so the time required, supplies needed and cost will change with the materials you decide to use. Whether you pick bricks, flagstones or some other material to construct your patio, the job will involve digging up the soil — and grass, if it's there — usually to a depth of 5 inches or more, leveling the area and setting your patio materials in a base of landscape fabric, gravel and sand.
It's hard work: lots of digging, hauling and working on your hands and knees for long periods. But think how satisfying it would be to have your first barbecue on a patio you built with your own hands.
- Get a pro-versus-DIY cost estimate for your ZIP code on DIYornot.com
- Bing: Top home-improvement disasters
- On our blog, 'Listed': Drought makes painted lawns more popular
10 DIY projects to tackle before summer ends
Build a deck
Difficulty: High — this is only for the ambitious
Time required: As long as 130 hours
Supplies: Depends on the deck
Cost estimate: $2,500, for a 400-square-foot ground-level composite deck
What a pro would charge: $4,624
Your savings: 46%
If you want to tackle this project, you'll need some know-how and power tools. This isn't a task for beginners: You'll need to plan the design, lay out the deck, locate the posts, install joists and bracing, attach the deck to the house, install foundation piers, install the decking and finish it off with stairs or a railing. Unless you know what you're doing, it's probably best to hire this job out. That said, you can save a bundle if you have the skills and the time to do it yourself.
Here's a slightly simpler alternative: This Old House has step-by-step instructions for a 10-by-16-foot on-grade deck that takes four to six days to build and costs about $1,000. Because it's built just above the ground, it doesn't require posts, steps or railings. That cuts down on cost and construction time. It's supported by concrete piers, so you'll need to allow about a week before construction for the concrete to cure.
- Get pro-versus-DIY cost estimates for your ZIP code at DIYornot.com
- MSN Living: How to clean everything white
10 DIY projects to tackle before summer ends
When to leave it to the pros
If you're not quite sure that you can handle a job, there's no shame in calling in a professional. It may cost you a little more upfront, but it's worth paying to know that a job is done correctly. You can find a screened and approved professional at ServiceMagic.com. (ServiceMagic is an MSN Real Estate partner.)
And there are a couple of instances when you should definitely call in a pro:
"When an upgrade or improvement requires a licensed professional like an electrician or plumber to meet building codes, it's best left to the pros," DIYornot.com's Katie Hamilton says.
The other time you don't want to risk it is when you're doing a project with expensive supplies.
"The labor cost of a project using expensive material like custom tile is a small percentage of the job total, so if a DIYer miscuts or makes a mistake, it'll negate any savings," Hamilton says.
- On our blog, 'Listed': Drought makes painted lawns more popular
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