I have a cousin who's supposedly a real whiz when it comes to carpentry, so I had him build some stairs for me. But unfortunately, there were some problems. I really didn't want to say something that would make him feel bad or embarrassed, but really! In the end I had to take down what he made and learn the art of building stairs myself.

With what I paid him, it was no longer in my budget to hire a professional. Here are my tips based on what I learned.

- Before you start, check and make sure that building stairs doesn't violate any local codes or requirements. My cousin did not do this, and luckily, I didn't see any problems in this area.

I think this is the only part I didn't have problems with, but you never know, it could simply be because the code inspector never saw the stairs. Had he seen them, a whole new section may have been written!

- I may not be the world's expert on stairs, but I firmly believe in using quality materials. My cousin used the cheapest material he could find. He simply reasoned that since the stairs would be covered with carpet, there was no need to 'go all out.'

But cheap wood, especially if it has knots and other imperfections, has a greater likelihood of cracking sooner than other kinds of wood. I have kids, and that's a risk I can't afford to take.

- Draw up a plan or blue print. That's one of the most useful tips I learned about building stairs, because it really helps you get everything laid out and organized. This way you'll get to see how the end result should look and how everything adds up.

So if you plan on making your own stairs, I hope these tips help you avoid any pitfalls. This way, you don't have to spend more money than needed.