NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Midautumn means pumpkins and football, crisp days and cooler nights. And for many homeowners it means the toil of getting their places ready for winter.

Insulation is hot

The to-do list can be long: weather-proofing doors and windows, refinishing the deck, cleaning leaders and gutters, pruning dead and dying limbs off trees, planting spring flowering bulbs, installing the deer fence and other tasks.

Some homeowners must wonder whether it's all worth the time and effort: Are they really saving so much money doing-it-themselves or would it make more sense to hire out the jobs?

Before embarking on any project, homeowners really need to ask themselves three questions, says Lou Manfredini, who is Ace Hardware's "Helpful Handyman." These are:

1.) Do I have the faintest idea what I'm doing?

2.) Can I make the situation worse?

3.) Will going it alone bring harm to myself or to my family?

If the answer to the first is no or the answers to either of the last two is yes, Manfredini says, hire someone else to do the job.

The biggest single consideration is safety. Danny Lipford, host of the syndicated show "Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford" and the home improvement adviser for CNNfn's "Your Money," says do-it-yourselfing, "gets real expensive if you hurt yourself."

Lipford points out a strategy that some homeowners use: they hire professionals to do the most dangerous or difficult parts of a job. So, for example, they get a housepainter to do the high trim and eaves, and do the easier, safer parts themselves.

Some 164,000 Americans sought emergency room treatment last year as a result of falling off ladders, according to the Underwriters Laboratory. Paying someone to remove leaves from your gutters, "could be the best $100 you'll ever spend," says Manfredini.

Don't hire just anyone who shows up in a truck.

"Make sure these people are insured, and if it's an employee doing the job, that the contractor has workman's comp," he cautions. "Otherwise, if someone falls off your roof, he could own your house." Manfredini's advice to "get proof of insurance" holds whenever you hire any contractor.

Lipford tells people to stay away from doing electrical, plumbing, and air-conditioning work themselves unless they really know what they're doing.

"Take on more manageable projects," he says. "Build up confidence before you take on harder jobs."

A handyman's sampler Contractor estimates for various autumn home projects Project  Scope  Estimate inc. materials  Degree of difficulty  Insulate attic  1,500 sq. ft.  $2,000  Low  Cedar deck addition  180 sq. ft plus rails and stairs  $8,000  Medium/high  Deck refinishing  Powerwash and stain 180 sq. ft  $700  Low  New concrete drive  30 ft. by 8 ft. -- no tear out  $3,000  Medium  New cedar shake roof  1,500 sq. ft., highly pitched roof  $13,000  High  Paint windows and doors  16 windows, toe entrance doors, one garage door  $850  Low   * Estimates are for Long Island, N.Y. Cost in your area may vary.  Source:  ServiceMagic (www.servicemagic.com)

"Too-ambitious homeowners can take on larger projects than they have the time and skills to do," adds Lipford. "It can cost money and increase frustration."

Manfredini says he's always "apprehensive about people doing their own electrical work. The risk of burning your house down or electrocuting yourself is a real possibility."

Some electrical projects, such as putting in a new programmable thermostat, are low voltage and low risk. But re-wiring the garage or putting a line in to the back fence should be hired out to a licensed electrician.

As for making matters worse, that can be a little tricky. More and more people think they have at least faint idea of what they're doing, thanks to home improvement shows (there are some 34 of them on air currently, according to Manfredini), handyman books, and do-it-yourself Web sites.

"All that information," says Lipford, "demystifies the work so much that it encourages you to do more home improvement yourself."

Repairing a leaky roof doesn't sound too difficult, for example. But a poor job can turn a slight drip problem into a torrent that can cause water damage, mold, and rot, followed by expensive repairs.

Most workers in the home repair fields earn between $15 and $30 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Paying two workers to paint the trim will probably run you at least $250 a day or more plus materials.

Doing-it-yourself often saves half the price of a job, according to Manfredini.

Take refinishing a deck, a reasonable task for homeowners to take on, he says. You'll need to rent ($60 a day) or buy ($250) a pressure washer, some cleaning supplies, and several gallons of linseed oil stain for an average-size deck. It will take about four hours and cost (if you rent the washer) perhaps $350. A pro will charge about twice that.

Painting is something almost anyone can learn to do, and the majority of the cost of hiring a professional painter is in labor.

But the savings are not always worthwhile. Repaving your driveway will save a little money, says Manfredini. "But it's a lot of work and the result will probably not look too professional."

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Ultimately, many homeowners make the decision to hire by simply asking themselves how much their leisure time is worth. If you find yourself spending every weekend working like a rented mule simply to save a few bucks, it may be time to re-examine your priorities.

If, on the other hand, you feel that doing some of these tasks are a relaxing break from your everyday work life, by all means, do them yourself.

Your lazy neighbors will certainly admire you for it.