When your small office space is no longer accommodating your growing team, you have two options: to remodel the area or rent a new one. If the budget is tight and your current space still has potential, you’ll probably go for option number one. But then again, the budget is tight; can you afford a designer and other remodeling professionals?
Most professionals advise against DIY remodeling, and it’s not because it makes them lose clients. Rather, it’s because inexperienced people aren’t supposed to work on something they don’t know anything about. Indeed, will you hire, let’s say, a so-called mason if they’ve never touched a stone before? So why will you try remodeling your own office if you’re not experienced in construction?
However, there are some advantages to foregoing pros. It saves money and gives you full control of the project. But to what extent of the project should you handle without a pro?
If you’re torn between hiring pros and going all-out DIY, here’s everything you need to know about a DIY office remodeling:
It’s Probably Impossible
Remodeling your office without a pro means your team will sacrifice their productivity for the project. This can lead to lost revenue and customer service problems. Also, even if you’re just a small, close-knit team, it doesn’t mean you can ask your employees to do something outside their job descriptions.
There are some remodeling-related tasks you can do, though. Packing up your things, putting away equipment, and securing files and data are all tasks you don’t need outside help for. As for the rest, like painting walls and installing fixtures, pros will be better at the helm.
DIY Remodeling Isn’t Necessarily Cheaper
When you DIY, you only avoid paying professional fees. You don’t avoid equipment costs and time spent. Unless you own power tools good enough for a remodeling project, then you may really save big bucks.
Hence, it’s not necessarily cheaper to DIY the project. The upfront costs could be lower than hiring pros, but you may spend more along the way. But with architects, designers, and other remodeling professionals, you only pay what you’ve agreed on in your contract. You may pay some additional costs, too, because the final expenses of remodeling always exceed the budget.
Professionals Use High-quality Equipment and Have Trained Workers
If you think paying for pros wastes money, think again. In fact, unlearn that mindset. The reason professionals charge high is their skill, experience, and value in the market. Their craftsmanship and professionalism, of course, affect their fees, too.
Unlike DIY-ers, professionals use industrial-quality construction tools and equipment. If you’d just remodel once, you wouldn’t normally buy those kinds of equipment. You can look for top-performing construction equipment for sale to get an idea of the industry standard. You’d likely find that the items sold are only handled by trained builders, experienced DIY-ers, and contractors.
You May Need Permits Before Remodeling
Another reason hiring pros is recommended is the permits. In urban areas, the plan of the building signed by an architect is required for a construction project to be permitted. The plan is probably unnecessary if you only do minor remodeling, like repainting the walls and making more space. But if your office is a standalone facility that you plan to renovate completely, you’ll most likely need the permit.
Architects Can Visualize Ideas in 3D
It’s easy to think you can DIY an entire remodeling process just because you have a Pinterest mood board or a vivid imagination. But after execution, your vision could turn out unappealing. That’s because you’re not trained to visualize ideas in 3D, which an architect can do.
Architects use AutoCAD and other rendering software to make realistic-looking designs. As such, they can see if an idea works when executed. Interior designers use rendering software for their work, too.
Hiring Pros Will Allow You to Focus on Your Business
With pros on board, you and your team can focus on your business, allowing productivity to stay at optimum levels. On the other hand, if you DIY, your team will be forced to set aside their tasks to help out. It wastes their time and energy, and you’ll suffer a period where you earn nothing.
Any change in the workplace can cause anxiety. This can tarnish your company culture and impact your leadership style. Your team may start thinking you’re taking advantage of them.
Ask for your team’s help only if their belongings in the workplace are concerned. For instance, if you’re changing your desks, your employees should be the ones re-organizing their own stuff. Other than that, let them do their work and allow the pros to take charge of the remodeling.
Hiring pros doesn’t mean you’ll have control of the project. Instead, it ensures that your money and resources will be well spent. It also minimizes downtime, productivity issues, and other potential losses.
