Daily Deals: Do it Yourself for Less

MOBILE, Ala. - Now that spring is here, you may be thinking about making some improvements around your home. That can be scary and expensive, but there are some projects you can tackle yourself. One of those projects is building your own fence.

Alex Raya, manager of Lowe's in Tillman's Corner, says to build a fence you'll need, fencing pickets, concrete, and hardware. "It's a relatively easy project and we are seeing a lot of people are trying to do it themselves," said Raya.

Painting a Room

Something else that's cheaper to do yourself is painting. All you need to do is pick your color, get some painters tape, paint brushes or rollers, and you're ready to go. You could paint your bathroom for right around $40.

Hardwood/Laminate Flooring

Raya says another project that's relatively easy for the homeowner to do is hardwood and laminate flooring.

"Really the main thing you want to do is make sure your sub-floor is clean, smooth, and free of debris. Also make sure you have a nice level working surface to start with. Once you've got that part done, the installation of the floor is relatively easy," said Raya.

Most types of flooring range from less $1 to $3 per square foot. The real investment will be in your time.

Drywall Repair

If your drywall needs minor repair, you can do that yourself. Minor drywall repair is easy, and inexpensive if you do it yourself. It will cost you about $20 if you do the work yourself.

"You'll need a putty knife to put the joint compound on with. Once you put that on, you put on your top coat and sand it smooth. Most of the time you'll have to do another "skin coat" where you put another thinner coat of drywall mud on and once you sand that smooth, you're ready for the primer than paint," said Raya.

Toilet Repair

Leaky commodes are also easily fixed. They can cost you money on your water bill, and plumbers can get expensive, but you can save money by fixing the leak yourself.

"You're looking at less than $25 to do the whole thing," said Bill Cleveland from The Home Depot.

Power Tool Rental

Local stores like the Home Depot also offer power tool rental. All you have to do is pick up the tool.

"We've done all the maintenance work on it. You go home, use it, you get through with it, you bring it back, and you're through with the system."

Do It Yourself Classes

The Home Depot also offers free "Do it Yourself" classes every Saturday and Sunday. Cleveland says the instructors will "recommend how to do almost it so you shouldn't have any problems going home, doing it, and saying 'I did it.'"