A Comparison Between Quick, Professional Installation of Wall Water Features Within the Home, Versus a Low-Budget DIY Approach

This is a short comparison between how two people went about incorporating indoor fountains into the decorative features of their homes while redecorating. Carol had more money to spend, but considered herself inexperienced in such matters, and too busy to do more than plan this work herself, while Jennifer had a smaller budget to work with, but was engaged in her home improvement efforts full time.

Whether you are on a shoestring budget or you're sparing no expense, adding a touch of class to your home with the use of indoor water features ought to begin in more or less the same way, by doing your research. So it was for Carol and Jennifer. Both started out by searching the web for indoor fountains reading up on the leading informational websites like Wikipedia and fountain-specific authorities such as Premium Indoor Fountains.com. They learned about the available types, ranging from decorative indoor table top fountains suitable for a desktop, dining, or kitchen table, to slightly larger freestanding pedestal fountains, suitable for the corners or rooms, or as balanced elements of a room in pairs, to the impressive indoor water wall fountains, which while being associated with the richest corporate offices.

This is where Carol and Jennifer's stories diverge, however. Carol decided that she could afford to buy the water-wall fountain of her dreams for the foyer, giving a great instant impression to anyone who entered. While learning that she could install this herself, having little experience or time for such things, she opted to order a DIY kit, and then arranged for her preferred local subcontractor to come and install the wall fountain kit during the day while she was at work.

Jennifer, on the other hand, had less to work with. After extensively research, she found that not only could she install a wall fountain herself, but that there were even instructional videos freely available online. However, she realized that while a wall fountain was easily within her abilities to install, it would require an electric drill, and a stud-finder, both tools which she lacked and wouldn't have frequent uses for after the job was finished. Instead, Jennifer opted to spread her investment around more, and choose to purchase 2 floor standing features that she would use in the living room.

Whose approach was better? The answer is neither and both. Both Carol and Jennifer used an approach that suited them better, and they each had their advantages:

Professional:

• Quick: After finding out the facts herself and ordering, Carol had the job done within a day, and didn't have to worry about it any more.
• Professional Experience: By calling in professionals, Carol didn't have to worry at all about getting the job wrong, or problems that can go wrong with incorrect or dangerous installation. She lacked the know-how to get the job done in a safe and timely fashion, so she used what worked best for her.
• Prestige: Carol had the luxury of a greater budget, and the final result showed it, giving her a final result that was instantly impressive to all who visited her home
• Cost: Carol simply had to pay more to get the job done. In the end, it was done how she wanted it, but it cost her more.

DIY:

• Low Budget: By taking all of the responsibility for labor onto herself, Jennifer was able to save dollars in the long run.
• Privacy and Control: Jennifer enjoys working on her own home. It's her home, and like many people, she's not always comfortable about inviting others into it to do things she is able to do so herself.
• Compromise: Jennifer's budget forced her to compromise. Originally, she'd have preferred a wall water fountain like Carol's, but her lack of the appropriate tools tipped the balance, and she decided to go with another option. The 2 free standing features brought balance to the room as well as the soothing sounds of trickling water.
• Time: Jennifer did need to do some basic assembly once the fountains arrived, but this process was limited. The two units were up and running in no time.