Doing maintenance / repair for your home whenever you can is a great way to get away from paying the high cost of a home contractor. But there are a number of jobs that you should not take on by yourself, unless you happen to be an expert.

In some instances the local building code may prohibit anyone but an authorized contractor from doing the work. In other cases, even though it might be legal, it's not worth taking a chance on trying to fix something that may endanger your property, or maybe your life.

An example of this would be repairs on gas appliances. How many of you know that most gas connections are threaded the opposite way from the usual direction? It isn't "righty-tighty", its "righty-loosey"! Little things like that make it a good idea for you to bite the bullet and call a skilled and licensed gas repairman.

Electrical repairs fall into two groups. Some are simple enough that most of us have performed them ourselves at least once - like replacing a faulty plug in a lamp. You can get electrical plugs which are made specifically for the amateur repairman that don't even require a screwdriver to hook up.

And then there are jobs like changing the power supply for your television that should be left to a TV repairman, if you can locate one these days. And replacing faulty wiring in your walls is not a job that most people want to attempt. An electrical contractor not only has the experience, he has tools that most of us don't want to get for ourselves.

There are many kinds of home maintenance / repair projects that are easily doable by the average home owner. A couple of examples will be sufficient to get you thinking of things you can do in your own home.

1. Painting: I can't think of any adult who hasn't made use of a paint brush or roller at least one time in their life. Though it might not be what you like to do best, and is often kind of an unpleasant task, it's one area that you can certainly avoid the expense of a home contractor.

2. Cleaning: I'm not referring to dusting and mopping here. I mean an intensive "spring cleaning" of certain areas of your home that could deteriorate badly if left alone for too long. Your cabinets and shelves, for example, would probably benefit. Don't just dust them - take them off, and even disassemble them, so the joints can have the dirt completely washed off. You'll be amazed at how new they will look when you're finished!

Staying on top of what you can do for your own home maintenance / repair will not just keep you busy on the weekends, it will definitely be good for both your home and for your wallet. See the paragraph below for more helpful ideas about keeping your home in top shape.