John Warde renovated his entire 5,000-square-foot home in Newmarket, Ont. Total cost: $140,000.
This week we asked readers to share photos of renovation work they had done themselves to cut costs.
The submissions were impressive, from a $500 bathroom makeover to a $140,000 total home renovation.
Many readers expressed pride in their projects, including Andreas Gierke of Woodland Beach, Ont., who built a new cottage two years ago and spent $6,800 for a new kitchen and appliances. "We did most of the work ourselves with a bit of help with our builder. The most fun I had was building the island myself," he wrote.
You can see the photos our readers shared here.
Of course, DIY projects are not for everyone, including Rick Davis of St. John's who had this warning for readers: "Hate to say it but the cheapest reno is to use professionals from the start. I have been selling homes for 25 years and have seen it all. If the DIY project isn't what you do from 9:00 to 5:00 hire a professional."
What do you think of DIY renos? Are they better left to professionals? Click here to submit your comments or to submit your own photos.