Consulting an Expert or Hiring it Out
/I took a week off in May for a staycation. Of course, I had a list of things to do that week, with the biggest project being to tend to the craftsman-style columns on our front and back porches. We built our house about five years ago, so some of the wood trim was starting to rot and the paint was looking thin. My husband and I wanted to replace the rotting trim and repaint the columns, but as with most projects, things snowballed. We decided we should replace the trim around ALL the columns with the durable PVC trim boards, so we wouldn’t have to replace rotting wood again in another five years. What we didn’t count on was the compound miter cuts. Not only did we need to cut the trim boards to surround the base of each column; the columns flared outward, so the cuts needed to slope as well.
Given my husband’s past project with crown molding in our first home (all I can say is, it was a starter home, so I think the next buyer had low standards), I took on the task of cutting the trim. I gave it my best shot, but eventually threw in the towel. I came to the realization that we either needed to consult with an expert or hire the job out. I really wanted to conquer this challenge, so we started with an expert – a call to my dad. As a woodworker and someone who has been in the construction industry all his life, he came over and patiently showed me the pattern I needed to follow when cutting the boards. Once I got that down, we had the trim replaced in a relatively short time.
Our financial planning and investment management services work very much like this experience. My husband and I had the time and desire to do the work ourselves; we simply needed to consult with an expert—someone to tell us what to do. With our hourly financial planning services, our experts are here to tell you what you need to do and when you need to do it. Sometimes, though, you don’t have the time or inclination to do the work yourself. That’s when you need to hire the job out. With our investment management services, we manage your investments for you, providing all service for the accounts. If you need anything, you call us and we take care of it for you.
Now that the columns have new trim and are freshly painted, I know we are well-positioned for the long term. With financial planning and investment management, you can be well-positioned for the long term, too.
- Juli Erhart-Graves, CFP®, Worley Erhart-Graves Financial Advisors
