Planning Some Home Improvements For The New Year?

For Many Of Us, Do It Yourself Repairs (DIY) In Our Homes Can Be A Solution For Issues Big And Small

Whether to save money or take advantage of personal skills to make improvements and add value, or just because you’re up to the challenge. At Park Tower we’ve seen everything from the simple to the very complicated. Minor carpentry, plumbing and electrical work, to cabinetry and flooring installations, and even full blown remodeling.

However, unnecessary errors and poor planning can put an Owner, their neighbors and the building at risk. Recently an Owner took on some electrical work that resulted in damage to a main breaker and created a very real fire hazard. Thankfully it worked out – the breaker system fail-safed as it should and our team coordinated the necessary repairs. In the past, an owner replacing a bathroom faucet led to 4 inches of water pooling in the unit and doing extensive damage in a neighboring unit below. Similarly, an Owner attempting to install a washer and dryer on their own resulted in leaking and flooding in multiple units.

This underscores the need for Owners to use extreme caution and plan thoroughly when considering doing work themselves. Particularly when it comes to activities that are more high risk such as plumbing and electrical work.

So here are some tips to help you proceed if you are considering a DIY project in your home:

1. Contact our team! Don’t be shy about it. Reach out to us. No matter what the project is – hanging a shelf, putting in a new floor, replacing an outlet, installing a new faucet…our team could have some valuable advice and guidance. The best way is to write us with a description of what you’re planning at parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.
2. Make sure your insurance is in place and up to date and even consider increasing it for the duration of your project! Our team is always keeping track of insurance expirations, and most Owners are used to getting alerts from us, so this should not be an issue. However, it is not uncommon for us to get cancellation notices usually due to the timing of payments. ALSO – if you are doing a larger or more complicated project, you could speak to your agent about increasing your liability limit and/or securing an “Umbrella” policy which can add a lot of coverage usually very inexpensively.
3. Considering Plumbing or Electrical? Unless your are a a licensed and insured plumber or electrician, you should hire one. Making even a small mistake could lead to serious damages.
4. Review the Association’s Construction and Remodeling Packet! If it is a minor repair or replacement, you don’t need approval but for larger and more complicated projects you do, do it yourself or not. So a first step should be to review the packet (Click Here). However, whether your project requires Association approval, by just reviewing the guidelines you can get A LOT of information that can be very helpful in  deciding how to proceed and helping prevent Owners from overlooking important details. Everything from building policies and procedures to safety to structural limitations and requirements.

Of course, besides the care, concern and precaution needed for your neighbors and the building itself, Owners personal safety is a priority concern as well. I found the following article online from ‘This Old House’ which covers some of the more in-the-moment precautions and preparations that should be considered: Safety Tips For Home DIY Projects

Thinking about any such project, DIY or otherwise, start with the Construction and Remodeling Packet, then reach out to our team. Let us know what you’re planning or thinking and we’ll help you take it from there.