While Chip and Joanna disagreed over what qualifies as a "novice" DIY project, they both suggested looking for opportunities to do kitchen renovation work yourself. Joanna suggested cutting costs by tackling low- to medium-skill-level projects yourself, such as installing your own kitchen backsplash, painting cabinets, and swapping in new hardware.
Chip advocated for more challenging projects, like pouring your own concrete countertops (which Joanna cautioned was risky for beginners) and installing new lighting fixtures, though he emphasized that it's important to study up on these projects before embarking. Thanks to the internet, it's never been easier to teach yourself. "Fifteen years ago, Google wasn't a thing, so I had to figure all this crap out on the fly and literally at the library, looking at an encyclopedia, but now with Google and YouTube, watching somebody do this isn't hard," Chip told us.
