I have the money for repairs but cannot face dealing with trades. AIBU to just live in the house as it is

In case no one has recommended this: get women trades! There’re a few websites adverting them, like this one
even my husband won’t get men now - I find women trades in general have more attention to detail and spare you the drama

Thank you, this makes perfect sense and also explains how DIYers can fit stuff and still sell their house!

Log burner = a Hetas registered person
Windows = Certas / Fensa

This is where the fitter / engineer is registered with the regulatory body overseeing standards, and thus can self-certify, skipping the need for Building Control approval.

If a DIY-er did any relevant works, they can ask a Building Control company to inspect and issue a compliance certificate instead. This can be via the council Building Control dept, or a private Building Control company.

I don't think that's it, although I could be wrong. But when I bought my house, my vendors had to provide all the information and guarantees for, the fitting of the logburner and new windows and the oven to prove that they'd been fitted professionally and not by someone who was likely to have skipped safety checks.

We do our own DIY. My dh refuses to pay tradesmen prices. We paint and decorate, plaster. My dh has taught himself how to move radiators. He even bought one and fitted it himself. He's changed light fittings and recently put in a built in wardrobe that he made himself. It's hard as we both work and sometimes we're busy at weekends, but honestly over the years he has learned to do loads of stuff. I don't do much more than painting myself. The thing is you know the quality is good if you've done it. I don't trust many people and my friends and neighbours have had some awful tradesmen over the years.

Building Regulations?

Yes do nothing and leave the tradespeople for others - there’s just not enough good ones to go around!

Just a question but how do those of you who do all the plumbing and big construction jobs yourselves deal with the signing off of jobs when you sell the house? (I know there's a technical term for it, but I can't remember it offhand). I thought that you had to prove that all work had been carried out professionally and produce certificates to prove it - does that only cover some things?

UPDATE the carpenter is starting the wardrobes tomorrow!

I reckon DIY is just arts and crafts on a slightly bigger scale. It's not mysterious or difficult,it can be learned.

I never thought of it as that considering I have a craft room fit to burst and I've also built from kits and decorated a dolls house, beach hut and garden shed. I just need to think bigger than 1/12th scale.

Yeah - when I divorced my husband 20+ years ago I didn't even possess a drill! Now own that, multi tool, jigsaw and umpteen other tools. Do agree that if you have the right tools it helps with alot of jobs. Do agree that plumbing and electrics you just have to pay out for. Thank goodness for YouTube demos!

Stuff I've done myself with the help of YouTube: mainly through necessity as I couldn't afford to pay someone.

Laid a stone tiled floor
Plumbed in a complete bathroom
Replaced floor joists
Tiled a kitchen
General painting and decorating
Replaced skirting boards
Replaced light fittings and sockets
Constructed raised beds
Replaced thermostat in a built in oven
Hung a door included fitting the hinges lock plate and lock.
Loads of general maintenance stuff

The only thing I won't mess with is gas or electric beyond changing a switch plate or light fitting.

I don't use a particular person I just search for what I want to do and find a video that I like the presentation of ( some waffle too much)

The key things I have learnt over the years is have the right tools for the job,it makes a massive difference.Trying to mitre a corner with a crappy old hacksaw and no mitre block is a nightmare.
Prep prep and prep again, it makes a world of difference and is probably 80% of the actual job. Yes it's boring when you are itching to get it done but the results are so much better.

I reckon DIY is just arts and crafts on a slightly bigger scale. It's not mysterious or difficult,it can be learned

I'm currently getting quotes to paint two medium sized rooms and the highest quote so far is 2.5k! He reckoned it would take 5 days. Some people think you were born yesterday.

I know this is a resurrected old thread but I would be interested to know about what jobs people have taught themself and which you tube channels you would recommend.

Thanks, its been a slog! It's slowly getting there though.

Sorry you've had some setbacks @username299 , but it looks like you've been really productive.

Brilliant @TroysMammy .

I've been similarly busy but have experienced some setbacks:

Hall floor laid
Wardrobes fitted
Roof retiled
Gutters cleared and fixed
Shutters fitted
Bedroom repainted

Cock ups:
Painter messed up kitchen, so that has to be redone
Carpet which is only a few years old started rotting so needs to be replaced

Work outstanding:
Kitchen walls
Bathroom needs to be repainted
Carpet fitted

@Eastie77Returns I know this is a few months ago but I thought I would update. The electricians turned up and did the jobs I needed doing.
The Council repaired the flat roof shared with my Council tenant neighbour - no charge.
Then the carpenter called to quote for the bespoke wardrobes and storage.
The plasterer called to quote for the bedroom, hall stairs and landing.

The plumber/gas fitted replaced a gas hob which only 3 burners worked for years.
then my heating back boiler of 30 years started playing up. The plumber/gas fitter Called to quote a combi boiler. Because of the cost of this some jobs had to be put on hold.
The combi boiler was installed.
The plasterer prepped the bedroom for plastering tomorrow.
The Carpenter will be doing the wardrobes in July.

I'm so pleased with myself for biting the bullet and making those calls. After 36 years living here it is starting to take shape.

I hope you are similarly getting there?

I do feel your pain OP. We've had some awful trades in the past. We're lucky now that we live in a village where we've got a great network of local trades - word gets around very quickly if someone hasn't done a good job and/or is unreliable.

As an example our next door neighbours were having their bathroom done by a local company - let's call them XX Home Refurbishment. We were looking to have similar works done and DH mentioned XX to a couple of builders who he knows in our local, just to get their thoughts. Both of DH"s friends said that they definitely wouldn't use them as sub-contractors at all. The reasons they gave absolutely coincided with those given by our neighbour when we saw her subsequently (unreliable and rude were two of the politest words!).

Floorboards! that reminds me. A few years ago now, I had remedial work done on the house after a MASSIVE radiator leak caused by a central heating company. The insurance workmen who came into rip the entire floor out, relay the floorboards, then re carpet were amazing....fast, courteous and both did an excellent job. The floor bloke lived locally so I asked if he had a card with his details on and he explained very politely that he only did work via insurance. He was absolutely open that the prices he could charge were insane (his words) and he had more work than he could handle.

Ahhh, my people! We had an amazing guy in to do some floorboards and DH and I both commented how it shouldn't feel so lucky and unusual to get a brilliant tradesperson who is honest, polite, hard working and skilled.

There's a reasonably big project that we've been wanting to do for years but I really can't face the sourcing quotes, having people in and so on.

DH is amazing at DIY and I think he could do all the works in our house (he's even good at electrics etc) but he works too many hours. I tell him if he ever wants to quit his job he's refurbishing the entire place before looking for anything else.

Sorry I wasn't asking for tips. I should have added the word mother in my last question. They are big settling cracks not hairline, house is ex council so not perfect. To be honest I'd rather iron clothes than do decorating and I hate hate hate ironing, you get my drift. I have no problem decorating my dolls house and other miniature buildings though but draw the line at doing it to my house. I have a short attention span for mundane things hence being on Mumsnet instead of hoovering 😀