DIYorNot.com, a Financial Website, Features the Cost of Home Decorating, Repair and Remodeling Projects to Help Home Owners Decide Whether to Do it Themselves or Hire a Pro

ST. MICHAELS, MD, May 26, 2011 (Press-News.org) According to the latest American Express Spending & Saving Tracker nearly two-thirds of homeowners said they plan to invest in renovation projects this year, on average $3,400. That's considerably less compared with the $6,200 in 2010. More than half of them said they'll take on at least some of the work themselves. DIY or Not.com, a financial web site specializing in home improvement projects analyzes the cost of hiring a contractor compared with doing it yourself. The site, rated by CNNMoney.com as "one of the 20 best money websites" features 350 job costs ranging from repairs and installations of doors, ceilings, floors, walls and windows to lighting, landscaping, painting, and electrical and plumbing work.

What projects should homeowners invest their time and money in? Gene Hamilton, co-founder of DIYorNot.com said "Choose jobs that return the best bang for your buck". He suggests low skill work such as cleaning gutters and downspouts that will prevent water damage in the future, and lawn and garden chores such as pruning and mulching with a low investment in tools and materials. Projects that conserve energy like installing a programmable thermostat and insulation are upgrades that add value and pay back on a homeowner's investment. In a recent appearance on Yahoo! Finance about projects best left to a professional he cautioned do-it-yourselfers against using expensive custom tiles or high end carpeting to avoid mis-cutting and having to replace the pricey goods. "Stick to labor intensive projects with low cost materials," he said.

On DIYorNot.com each project analysis features what's involved and cost information so visitors can compare the Pro Cost which includes the labor and material and the DIY Cost for the material. The costs can be adjusted by zipcode for a local estimate.

The mobile version m.diyornot.com is a handy reference for homeowners planning a budget for a project and for shoppers on the go who can access the cost information on their smartphone while perusing the aisles of a home center.

DIYorNot.com is the online edition of the newspaper column of the same name, which is syndicated by Tribune Media Services. It went online in 1987 on HouseNet BBS, a bulletin board service that evolved into HouseNet.com, the first home and garden channel on AOL and home improvement Web site. More information can be accessed online at www.diyornot.com and m.diyornot.com.