It's not uncommon to get married and buy a house all in the same year. These two big life changes can really add up, so Redfin set out to find which cities were the most affordable for couples to get hitched and buy a new house in. Pittsburgh ranked third on the last, just below Detroit MI, and Cleveland, OH. 

To go about their study, Redfin calculated downpayment amounts in 25 popular metros in the U.S., assuming a downpayment of 20% on the median list price as of April 2019. They then added that data to wedding costs from WeddingWire, which reported that the average cost of a wedding, engagement ring, and honeymoon to be just under $39,000 in 2018.

Here's a look at the data for the top five most affordable metros for getting married and buying a house in the same year.

According to WeddingWire, average wedding cost in Pittsburgh is $27,000, which is more than $10,000 below the nation average of $38,700. In Pittsburgh, the median list price was reported to be just under $190,000. The average median list price for the metros studied was $308,000.

A 20% downpayment, based off of a $190,000 list price, would be $37,980 in Pittsburgh, whereas the average downpayment for the metros studied was close to $80,000. The average wedding and downpayment on a home would cost a Pittsburgh couple $64,980, which is almost $50,000 below the national average. 

The five most expensive metros in the study were found to be Boston, MA, San Diego, CA, New York, NY, Lost Angeles, CA, and San Francisco, CA coming in at the most expensive, with an average wedding and downpayment costing a couple $325,000, which is over $215,000 above the national average and $260,020 above Pittsburgh's average wedding and downpayment cost. 

To learn more about the most and least affordable metros to buy a home and get married in the same year, check out the full article on Redfin's website here. 

There's no doubt, it's generally a lot cheaper to DIY home improvement projects instead of hiring a professional. If you DIY something and make a mistake, though, it could cost you. According to a recent survey by Clovered about the most costly home improvement mistakes, the median amount of money spent to fix home improvement blunders is $137.50.

​If you're thinking about taking on a DIY project, there's one crucial consideration that could save you a lot of time, money, and hassle. 

Most of the people surveyed by Clovered--over 85%--reported that they went the DIY route over hiring a professional in order to save money. It's true that DIY home improvement projects can be much cheaper than hiring a professional. Here are a few date points from the Clovered article. 

Home Improvement Project | Professional Cost | DIY Cost
Installing hardwood flooring     |   $2,400-$8,000     | $900
Installing a kitchen sink              |   $200-$1,125           | $99
Grouting tile                                  |   $248-$475              | $30
Tiling a shower                             |   $1,580-$3,900       | $300
Installing a blacksplash              |   $300-$1,350           | $150
Installing drywall                          |  $300-$10,000        | $150

While DIY projects can reap huge savings benefits, they aren't always the way to go for one reason: the homeowner's skill level. If a homeowner tries to drywall their living room but ends up messing up due to inexperience with drywall, they will end up having spent money to attempt the project and then more money to fix it or hire a pro. 

Along with homeowners working outside of their skill level, there's also the issue of injury when taking on a DIY project. In fact, 25% of homeowners reported getting injured while working on a home improvement project. Here are the stats on DIY injuries from the Clovered survey. 

Injury During DIY Project                    | Percentage of Homeowners
Cutting themselves with a sharp tool | 74.9%
Hitting themselves with a tool              | 58.4%
Tripping over materials                           | 49.0%
Slipping on the floor                                | 26.7%
Falling off a ladder                                    | 21.4%
Electrocution                                             | 14.4%
Inhaling noxious fumes                          | 14%
Getting burned                                         | 11.5%

In the end, homeowners surveyed said that their best advice for DIY projects is to only work within your skill level. Doing so will save you money and result in a successful DIY home improvement project! 

If you're considering listing your house for sale, you may have thought about renovations, repairs, and updates before officially putting it on the market. Replacing your roof can be a great investment to boost your ROI. Find out why below. 

Unless buyers are specifically looking for a fixer upper, most don't want to pay for major improvements on a newly purchased home. If buyers see that your roof is old in listing pictures, they may even decide to not consider your home at all. On the other hand, a new roof is appealing to buyers because it signals that your home has been cared for and won't need a new roof for a long time. 

When going through they buying process, many buyers will utilize major repairs as a way to offer less for your home. A roof that is old can be a big sticking point during negotiations on the sale price of your home. Replacing your roof now can spare you the headache of negotiations over your roof and home's purchase price down the road. 

Though a new roof is a big investment, it has a high ROI and is something most home buyers consider when looking at homes. It is possible that a new roof will allow you to up your asking price and thus recoup most of the cost.