Every year I’m amazed at the number of accidents people have when they’re trying to save money by doing a home improvement project themselves rather than hiring a contractor.

I’m not saying that you can’t tackle DIY successfully – I’m just saying it usually takes more time and planning than most of us think. My neighbors, for instance, installed their own flat screen. What they didn’t know is that they nicked a water line in the process.  It took months for the damage to start showing up, but when it did, it was a huge project to tear out the wall and redo everything.

I don’t even want to think about people who shoot themselves with nail guns and fall off ladders.

I talked about what to ask yourself before you take on a DIY home improvement with the crew at Good Day LA last week, and we have tips to help you figure out if DIY is for you or not, too.