4 Home Projects You Can Actually DIY and 4 to Leave to the Experts

Update Your Brick

“There are lots of great, inexpensive ways to update brick, including painting it or doing one of my favorite updates, a German smear. Both are very simple once you build up the courage to actually put that first stroke of paint or mortar on your brick.” —Heather Thibodeau, blogger at The Heathered Nest

Revamp Your Headboard

“A DIY headboard is one of the easiest projects I’ve ever done. It's so straightforward. Combine wood, foam, batting, fabric in a sandwich, and staple it all together. I’ve done a bunch of DIYs, and my headboard has been by far my most asked about and recreated.” —Jessie Ruane, Instagrammer at @JessieFinds

Paint the Town

“Nothing is off the table here when it comes to painting. We've even painted hardwood flooring that had seen better days—and we even did it without sanding, which most would consider a big no-no, but we did it and never regretted it for a minute. Got some stairs you don't want to spend a fortune to overhaul? Paint them.” —Heather Thibodeau

Upgrades You Enjoy Making

“I only DIY what I find fun and rewarding. Personally, I enjoy the cosmetic type of DIY projects—think wallpaper, paint, molding, or switching out a chandelier. When it comes to more structural changes, I like to call in the experts. The stress of potentially causing long-term issues with my home makes more challenging projects less enjoyable for me.” —Jewel Marlowe, blogger at Jeweled Interiors

Call in a Pro for These Upgrades

Electrical Work

“Don’t attempt involved electrical work for the first time. But, you can definitely change a light fixture after you have watched some YouTube videos and follow safety precautions.” —Stefana Silber, blogger at Stefana Silber 

Installing Windows

“Once you learn how to do these, it's not insanely difficult, but the problem is if it’s done wrong, you could be causing a lot of expensive damage inside your home because of water issues—or even just poor performance of the window because of a bad install. It’s best to leave windows to the pros.” —Heather Thibodeau 

Structural Changes

“When it comes to removing walls, widening doorways, or installing a new door or window, you’ll want to check with a structural engineer and hire a framer to support your house structure while removing any structure.” —Brittany Bailey, blogger at Pretty Handy Girl

Plumbing Fixes

“There are caveats on this one. Most people can probably learn to replace a toilet without much trouble, it’s really not that hard. Same goes for installing a new sink faucet, as long as you have easy access to the plumbing below the faucet. But, if you’re talking about repairing leaks, changing plumbing, or anything that has to do with plumbing that is difficult to access, I’d steer clear.” —Heather Thibodeau