subject: Home Decorating: Time Or Money? [print this page] Our homes may be our castles, but when it comes to decorating them, many of us choose to take the DIY option rather than pay expensive decorators' fees. Much of the time there is an obvious financial motivation for this - you're effectively paying someone's wages while they decorate your home, so the costs soon add up.
However, many people genuinely enjoy doing their own decorating. For many people, it's a fantastic way of making a house a home. It's natural to want to make the places we live visually our own. It's one of the ways that we communicate our identities to others, showing people who come to visit who we are.
This doesn't necessarily imply DIY - any good professional decorator will be able to follow instructions and put our 'identity stamp' on our homes for us, but it's undeniable that there is a strong sense of satisfaction to be gained from doing the job without help. From the initial stages of choosing papers, paints and effects, through to establishing themes and coordinating different elements - with so many property shows and magazines around, we've all become designers.
Despite all this, sometimes, it's good to enlist some professional help. It might seem as if decorating's a simple task, but few DIYers will be able to do as efficient or speedy job as a professional decorator. While some people might find they take naturally to pasting wallpaper and painting stencils, not everyone's blessed with practical skills. If you can afford it, it can often be worth paying for a quality, quick job.
If you have the skills to do a good job, and the spare time to do it in, then doing your own decorating can be a great, satisfying experience. If you're not so skilled, or have a busy life, then consider paying to get some help from a professional if you can afford it, or you might find yourself regretting a botched job.
