Home Repairs: When to DIY and When to Hire a Pro

Buying a home for the first time is an exciting adventure filled with potential and possibility. And improving your first home is a fun way to make your mark and give it a unique personality. Your home purchase was most likely the result of years of planning, researching and saving, so you’ll want to be smart when it comes to making upgrades or remodeling. Should you do it yourself or dish out the cash to hire a pro? Before you dive into a home project ask yourself the following questions:

2. Are the materials required for this project expensive and will I use them again?

3. Does this project affect the structure of the home?

4. Does this project require knowledge of building codes, permits or fire safety regulations?

Hire a Pro

It’s perfectly normal to be intimidated by your first home, especially by the parts of the home you can’t see, like plumbing, insulation or electrical. There are reasons why we hire licensed plumbers, electricians, roofers and gas line installers: Mistakes can lead to hazardous conditions for the homeowner. Here are few situations where it might be better to hire help.

1. When Health Hazards Are Involved: Older homes sometimes have hazardous elements, like lead, asbestos, aluminum wiring or polybutylene piping. These will require a certified and licensed professional to expertly remove and replace. If not properly maintained, aluminum wiring (commonly found in homes built between 1965 and 1973) can become overheated and lead to electrical fires. Replacing it should always be done by a professionally licensed electrician. As a general rule, if the issue requires you to go into the “guts” of the home, leave it to an expert.

2. Removing Popcorn Ceiling: The ugly “popcorn” texture on ceilings and walls is a dated look that many first time homebuyers want to immediately change. Removing the texture is quite simple, but the reality is that removing several hundred square feet of textured ceiling, on a ladder, with water dripping down onto the floor can get very messy very fast. Professional drywallers understand how to best tape off and prepare the area and have the correct equipment to easily reach high or awkward places.

3. Making Major Structural Changes: In general, any time you add to your home, or make structural changes to the home, you’ll need to file for a permit. You may also need professional drawings, plans or verification of the designs from a licensed professional. Structural additions and changes often require changes to plumbing, electrical, heating/cooling or gas lines, and you’ll want to ensure that everything is built to code and has structural integrity.

4. Refinishing Hardwood Floors: In general, solid hardwood floors have a long lifetime, upwards of 100 years or more. But not every homeowner takes good care of their flooring and your new home may have spots, stains, scratches or dull spots. Refinishing flooring isn’t technically difficult but it is rather easy to make costly mistakes. Sanding down the top layers requires equipment rental and lots of vacuuming. Afterward, there are several applications of slow-drying polyurethane coating. Regardless whether you opt to do this yourself or hire a pro, this is a great project to get done before you actually move in.

DIY Time

Owning a home gives you a great opportunity to learn new skills, like how to properly hang a shelf, how to maintain appliances and how to check for damage. Even when you hire a professional, you’ll find yourself asking questions and gaining more confidence with bits and pieces of your home. Here are some great projects that even a novice DIYer should learn how to do to maintain a home.

1. Painting: Painting walls, ceilings and trim is a great way to instantly add personality and color to your new home. Keep in mind, the best paint jobs are all in the preparation. You’ll want to spend time to expertly tape off the area and protect the floor, move furniture out of the room or to the center of the room. Buy the right type of equipment for your surfaces and invest the time to choose the right color and paint type. Remember that even low VOC paint can irritate your lungs, so open the windows and bring in some fans.

2. Replacing Lights: Swapping out or replacing pendants or chandeliers is a pretty easy DIY. The most important part of lighting replacement is to locate your home’s breaker panel and turn off the circuit for that particular switch. Your home should have a well-labeled breaker panel, but if it doesn’t, hire an electrician to map it for you. If you have a number of lights you want to replace or want to add dimmers, fix old outlets, add sconces or have general electrical concerns with your new home, hire a licensed electrician.

3. Landscaping: One of the best places to make your personality shine is through the landscaping of the home. Your home’s curb appeal is an important part of maintaining the value of your home. Gardens take time to fully develop and seasonal changes create a constantly transitioning space. If you are a new to the craft but have enthusiasm, you’ll find no shortage of inspiration, ideas and opportunities to learn. Whether you decide to stick to plants or try your hand at produce, this is an opportunity to literally get your hands dirty and start experimenting.

4. Hanging Objects on the Wall: Properly hanging shelves, paintings, mirrors or televisions on the wall may seem easy, but you need to use the right tools for the job. Start by visiting your local hardware store. Have them direct you to the basic tools you’ll need as well as the right type of fastener for the project. It’s always helpful to bring in the item you’d like to hang and know what type of wall you’ll be affixing the object to. Most walls are made of drywall, which is rather soft. Behind the drywall are wood studs, which are placed every 16 to 24 inches apart. Knowing how the wall is put together will help you understand where to hang objects on the wall.

Do you have any home DIY triumphs or pitfalls? Share your experience with us in the comments below.

No matter what kind of day you're having, Marissa Cooper's having a worse one. Mischa Barton's The O.C. character went through the ringer during the first three seasons of the teen drama (remember how she overdosed in Tijuana...and also saw her parents post-hookup after their divorce?).

And during her time on The O.C., Mischa Barton struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. She was arrested for a DUI in 2007 and eventually received involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in 2009 after allegedly threatening to end her own life. And in a new interview, Peter Gallagher (who played Sandy Cohen on the show) says he's "just so grateful" for "the fact that she’s still alive."

  • Mischa Barton starred alongside Peter Gallagher in The O.C. from 2003-2006.
  • The actress has revealed the "trauma" of being a star at that point in her life.
  • Peter recently opened up about how he's thankful "she’s still alive."


Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for FLC/John Lamparski/Getty Images

The O.C. follows Ryan Atwood, who moves in with the Cohens after getting kicked out of his mom's house, and starts a relationship with Marissa shortly after. While Peter Gallagher played Adam Brody's TV dad instead of Mischa's, Sandy was a definitely father figure for Marissa, and it seems like Peter felt that same responsibility off camera.

"I’ve always felt very protective of her," Peter told The Independent. "First fame is toxic. First fame can kill you. She was 16 years old when she started working with us, so just the fact that she’s still alive, I’m just so grateful."

“You can go to therapy every day for the rest of your life,” Mischa said in a 2023 interview with The Sunday Times. “There’s just a certain amount of trauma [from] all that I went through, particularly in my early twenties, that just doesn’t go away overnight.”

Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage revealed that season 1 overdose not only served as a cliffhanger, but gave “network executives an escape hatch on a performer they had been wary about” (via People). But Mischa Barton got her big break, becoming "how people knew the show," and (thankfully) Marissa recovered — only to die after a car crash in season 3.

As hard as that season 3 ending is to watch, Mischa did have the opportunity to watch it with Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke for the first time on their rewatch podcast. "It needed to be a thing, after everything she's been through, but if it's here I'll watch it with you," Mischa says.

"I couldn't do it, Mischa, I couldn't do it," Rachel adds. "But I'm going to do it if you're going to do it."

Mischa says even though being written off the show "was a little bit of a bummer," it wasn't necessarily a surprise. "The character was just doing too much," she told Vanity Fairin 2023. "And I think they ran out of places for her to go. It was not the best thing in the world, [but] there wasn’t much you could do at that point. It was whether she could sail off into the sunset, or die. At that point, I guess it’s better to have the more dramatic ending.”
What did you think of The O.C. season 3 finale? Let us know on Facebook!

Former Disney Channel star Dylan Sprouse and model Barbara Palvin are certainly living the sweet life after tying the knot in Palvin's native Hungary. The couple, who have been together for nearly five years, have always been pretty low-key — except for the occasional and undeniably adorable Instagram post (and a stunning wedding!). We are simply ~obsessed~ with this celebrity couple, especially after they pulled out all the stops for their couple's Halloween costume. Keep scrolling to see some of their best moments :').

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Halloween Couple's Costume!

For Halloween Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin stunned as the Phantom and Christine from Phantom of the Opera. Dylan wore a mask and a black cape, while Barbara wore a beautiful white dress. While the costume is obviously a nod to the musical, it also totally reminds us of their day as bride and groom.

"In Sleep He Sang to Me," Barbara said in a post, quoting the musical's titular number. "@dylansprouse my forever Phantom."

Who did Dylan Sprouse marry?

www.instagram.com

On the couple's wedding day (July 15, 2023), Barbara wore a Vivienne Westwood wedding gown to celebrate her Hungarian nuptials, bringing together their nearest and dearest for an intimate(-ish) celebration. Barbara and Dylan tied the knot on her parent's property, which conveniently doubles as an event venue, with plans to host an larger wedding in California in the fall.

"This past weekend was supposed to be an intimate event, but we ended up having 115 guests in the end because there are a lot of people we care about, and we wanted them all to be there," Barbara told Vogue.

When did Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin get engaged?

www.instagram.com

Barbara Palvin on Instagram: "♥️"

After months of speculation surrounding the couple's engagement, Dylan and Barbara confirmed their engagement in conversation with Sprouse's twin brother, actor Cole Sprouse, for V Magazine in June, sharing that they got engaged last September.

"We didn't necessarily feel the need to be fully transparent with the public about that aspect of our engagement," Dylan said. "What we wanted to do with Stephen [Gan, V editor-in-chief] and the V team is make something that was kind of tongue-in-cheek about the nature of private versus public. We're playing with the idea of perception."

Barbara noted that the lovebirds wanted to announce the news "on our time," adding, "When some people leaked the information that we got engaged, our PR team was like, 'Hey, so you guys should do maybe a post about it or talk to this magazine or talk to that magazine…' That really annoyed me because I knew we were building this story up. So, I'm very happy that we ended up doing it our way."

When did Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse start dating?

Sean Zanni / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Dreamy Halloween Costume: "My Forever"

According to People, the couple met back in 2017 after a party when the Suite Life On Deck star slid into the model’s DMs (and as they say, the rest is history). The duo made their relationship Instagram official back in 2018 with Barbara’s sweet birthday tribute for Dylan’s 26th birthday.

Let’s be real here for a second though, we all knew they were endgame the minute Dylan went above and beyond to support Barbara at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show that same year (remember this viral video?). Three days after the fashion show, the Hungarian model told Vogue Australia that she hadn’t had a boyfriend in six years, but had now found “the perfect guy” in Dylan (we aren’t crying, you are).

How old are Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse?

Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Barbara Palvin was born on October 8, 1993, making her 31 years old. Dylan Sprouse was born on August 4, 1992, meaning he's 32 years old. So there's only a one-year age gap between them!

Stay up to date with all of Brit + Co's favorite celebrity relationships. Let us know your thoughts on Twitter!

This post has been updated.

2017's The Beguiled gave us one of the best groups of people of all time: Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Sofia Coppola, and Kirsten Dunst just to name a few. And we're finally getting an Elle and Nicole reunion thanks to Apple TV+! "THRILLED to bring @rufithorpe genius hysterical heart-wrenching heartwarming book to your TV screens alongside a dream group of people!" Elle says on Instagram. Rather than having to test the success of its pilot, the series has already been ordered — even though the book it's based on isn't even out yet! Here's everything you need to know about the series.

  • Dakota and Elle Fanning will produce the upcoming Apple TV+ show Margo's Got Money Troubles.
  • The series follows Margo, who signs up for OnlyFans after learning she's pregnant.
  • The cast includes Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nick Offerman.

Who's in the Margo's Got Money Troubles cast?

Amy Sussman/Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Margo's Got Money Troubles Cast

We couldn't contain our excitement when we learned Margo's Got Money Troubles will star Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, but knowing Michelle Pfeiffer is also joining the cast is too much to bear! This is the first time the actress will collaborate with her husband, TV creator David E. Kelley, so we can't wait to see the magic they'll create (via Deadline).

Nick Offerman from The Last of Us and Parks and Rec will also star.

When is Margo's Got Money Troubles coming out?

Ron Lach/Pexels

Margo's Got Money Troubles Release Date

We don't have an official release date for Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's TV show yet. I'm thinking if the TV show is in the early stages of planning, we could see it in 2025! Check out all of this year's best New TV Shows to hold you over until then.

What is Margo's Got Money Troubles about?

Amazon

Margo's Got Money Troubles Plot

Margo Millet is the daughter of a Hooter's waitress named Shyanne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and an ex-wrestler (via Deadline). She's always had to make it on her own, even though she's not sure how. When she enrolls in her local junior college, she's totally unprepared to get swept up into a torrid love affair with her English professor — or to get pregnant.

Now at 20 years old, Margo needs an income and fast. She decides to experiment with OnlyFans and ends up taking some of her estranged father's advice from the world of wrestling to create a character users will fall in love with. You can order the book now!

What is Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's new TV show?

Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

Margo's Got Money Troubles is coming soon to Apple TV+ thanks to a bunch of different producers. A24 is backing the film, as well as Elle and Dakota Fanning’s production company Lewellen Pictures and Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films, to name a few.

What else has Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman starred in?

Focus Features

Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman starred in 2017's The Beguiled. The movie follows John McBurney, an injured Union soldier, who winds up at a female Southern boarding school after deserting the Civil War. But soon, as the women help him, tensions turn to rivalries and friends turn to enemies.

Are you excited for Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's TV reunion? Let us know what other New TV Shows you're watching in the comments.

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

This post has been updated.