The Kitchen Projects Mike Holmes Says You Should Never DIY

There's a certain thrill to pulling off a complicated DIY project around the house, especially if you're not the most skilled handyperson. If you can figure out how to do something yourself and skip the cost of hiring a professional, that's a good feeling. With plenty of websites, TikToks, and YouTube walkthroughs out there, there's almost nothing you can't learn if you're determined. But HGTV's Mike Holmes doesn't recommend going the kitchen DIY route every time, even if you think you can pull it off. 

As he explains on his website, Make It Right, he thinks you should call in a pro when it comes to tile work or installing cabinets. Choosing your kitchen cabinets before the countertops is only half the battle. Installing them can be a costly venture. Even at the low end of things, you can expect to pay a few thousand dollars — and the price can easily go over 10 grand. Installing cabinets yourself is tempting because it could save you thousands, since professionals often charge hundreds of dollars per linear foot. The downside, however, is the risk involved. 

Cabinets are heavy and can be very tricky to install and anchor correctly. They may be designed to hold over 400 pounds, but poor installation and a few hundred pounds of dishes inside could bring them crashing down. Improperly-installed cabinets are a big safety risk. If the cabinets fall, nearby people and pets could get hurt. In addition, whatever you have in your cabinets could be destroyed. That's a lot of wasted time and money even if no one gets hurt.

A professional tile setter usually goes through two to four years of apprenticeship. They need 2,000 hours of on-the-job training to become fully qualified tilers. In other words, this is not a skill you can realistically replicate after watching a YouTube video on a Saturday afternoon. Even if the tiles seem properly placed as you're doing the job, you might find misalignments once the task is done. By then, it may be too late to fix it. According to Holmes on his website, Make It Right, a botched job carries an increased risk of broken tiles, making common kitchen grouting mistakes, or poorly-setting tiles that could crack later. A professional tile setter or contractor can help you avoid all of that while also providing a cleaner and faster installation.

As Holmes says on his website, "amateur work often costs you more in the long run when you have to redo the shoddy work." That's the real danger of DIY projects that don't get the job done. If you think you're saving money but later end up hiring someone to fix your mistakes, you could spend even more than if you'd hired a pro from the start. It's better to pay more upfront for well-done work that often comes with a guarantee. There are plenty of DIY kitchen remodel tips that can help you make your dream kitchen come together. But some things are definitely better left to those who do it for a living, especially if you're not confident in your construction skills. For more helpful advice, follow Holmes' important word of warning before starting a major kitchen renovation.