The One Household Task That's Worth Paying Someone To Do

Most of us have developed cooking and cleaning routines that work for our families, but when a faucet starts dripping, a door starts squeaking, or a patch of drywall turns suspiciously brown, home repairs can feel far less certain. For a lot of middle-class families, the situation turns into a few hours watching YouTube tutorials, a few trips to Home Depot, and a few prayers that the fix holds. It's a totally different approach than the one taken by upper-class families, not just for home repairs but for basic maintenance tasks, too. Their private chef is more likely to solve those weird noises coming from the fridge. They never think about cleaning the gutters because their landscaping crew is already on it. Like grocery delivery or dog grooming, for people with plenty of money, home repairs are just another task to delegate. It turns out that, financially and practically, home repairs are the one household task that's worth paying someone to do.

Sure, there's a certain pride in fixing things yourself. But many middle-class families hesitate to hire out repairs, not because they want to feel a sense of accomplishment. It's the cost. Hiring a professional comes with sticker shock, especially if you've been taught that sweat equity is free. Many of us watched our parents or grandparents embrace a cultural narrative that says adulthood means being able to fix things ourselves, asking for help is weak, and paying for it is wasteful. But wealthy people know that although there is something to be said for self-reliance, when it leaves you frustrated and without any free time, you'll wish you'd simply called for help in the first place.

The trouble with DIY to save money is that many people don't factor in the time it takes to research what's causing a problem, make multiple trips to the hardware store, or redo the fix when the first try doesn't work. There's also a financial component when you have to pay for new tools to do the job or cleanup when a DIY attempt goes downhill. There's actually a psychological reason behind the instinct to DIY at all costs, which researchers have dubbed "opportunity cost neglect." One study published in the Journal of the Economic Science Association showed that people habitually undervalue their own time, seeing only the immediate costs of services instead of the value of what else they could be doing instead. That tendency makes DIY seem like the more frugal choice, even when it isn't. 

You may still be skeptical or have plenty of time on your hands. If you love to do woodworking as a hobby, it probably makes sense for you to fix that squeaky cabinet door yourself. When you can't get enough of the outdoors, yardwork might not feel like a chore at all. But there are certain home repairs you should always outsource. Messing with electrical wiring simply isn't worth it. Simple mistakes put you at risk of fire, shock, or code violations that stay hidden until you try to sell your home. There are also certain times when you should call a plumber to avoid leaks inside your walls or under floors that turn into mold, rot, or structural damage. When it comes to major house repairs, sometimes the best tool in your toolbox is the phone.