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Original poster

How many of these house maintenance/diy type jobs do you do yourself?

113 replies

Iknowyouknow · 09/06/2021 11:10

These are all the things around my house that need doing:

fix kitchen cupboard door
fix door handles
jet wash paving stones front and back garden
paint fence front and back garden
decorate dc’s bedroom
clean stone walls at front of house

I am a single parent and during lockdown my house has got really tatty as I haven’t kept up with all the maintenance around the house. I don’t know whether to get someone in and do it all or do it myself. Problem is, I can’t get the motivation. My ex used to fix everything and actually enjoyed it and that is the only thing I miss!

Wondering about who does those type of things in your home?

OP posts:

Wbeezer · 09/06/2021 15:52

All of them, I've also taken out and restored sash window frames (including replacing panes of glass). I've built retaining garden walls, laid slabs and lawns and next week I'm going on a day course to learn re-pointing. It's out of necessity, bought a money pit house and DH has a bad back but none of them are really any more complicated than baking a cake, just takes a bit of practice. I dont go up tall ladders though! Too scary!

Igmum · 09/06/2021 15:52

Another single parent here [waves]. I'm rubbish at DIY and work long hours in a pretty demanding job. My old system was watching my house fall apart around me. Current system, been going a few years, is to book a handyman in for a day every few months. I always have a list of stuff that needs doing, he is great and it's much cheaper and more efficient to do them all at once. It also means, if I do have an emergency DIY job, that I'm near the top of his list because I'm a regular customer.

Sh05 · 09/06/2021 15:57

Yup all those jobs I'd do myself but eldest Ds loves DIY Jobs so he joins in most of the time so not really doing everything myself.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Home improvement

KurtWilde · 09/06/2021 16:06

No way I could afford to have people in to do these jobs, I've become very handy over the years! It was either that or watch the place fall down round my kids' heads!

echt · 09/06/2021 16:17

At 65+. I can and do all of them.It all takes longer now, as I'm widowed, but there you go.

I save my money for the things that are dangerous/ massive in scale, or truly beyond my skills.

Original poster

Iknowyouknow · 09/06/2021 16:36

It amazing how much it takes to maintain a house!

It’s great to hear how handy lots of people are though. Thing is, I don’t really have the interest.

I did save £85 the other day by fixing the water pressure on my boiler by watching a YouTube video. I’d called out a gas engineer the last time and he was here minutes and when he said the call out charge was £85 I nearly cried. Not wanting to pay out that much money was a big incentive to learn how to do it myself.

OP posts:

Starseeking · 09/06/2021 16:50

I'd do all of those jobs myself. My soon to be EXDP used to say he would do all these type
jobs, but would never lift a finger, then complain when I spent (my) money on paying someone to do jobs. 3 years later I gave up, bought myself a tool box, and power drill and haven't looked back since. Getting rid of him shortly, but keeping hold of my tools!

KurtWilde · 09/06/2021 16:59

@Iknowyouknow I don't really have the interest either, but neither do I have the money to get someone in to do it so needs must!

fussychica · 09/06/2021 17:10

Very lucky DH can do pretty much everything except plastering and complex electrical stuff even though he couldn't do any DIY when we got married. I'm pretty useless at DIY but I'd pressure wash, paint garden fences and trellis and do prep for decorating. If I was on my own I'm afraid I'd have to pay someone to do the rest though I might have a go at anything I couldn't make worse by trying to do it myself

AlwaysLatte · 09/06/2021 17:15

We do all that sort of thing except for the decorating. We could do it, and have the time, but use a decorator who does a much more professional job - we usually get decorating done while we're away too so it's painless.

MistySkiesAfterRain · 09/06/2021 17:51

@Iknowyouknow

These are all the things around my house that need doing:

fix kitchen cupboard door
fix door handles
jet wash paving stones front and back garden
paint fence front and back garden
decorate dc’s bedroom
clean stone walls at front of house

Wondering about who does those type of things in your home?

I live alone, so I'd do the jetwash (sounds fun!), stone walls and painting. Fixing cupboard doors might be a handy man job. I think its worth having a relationship (not that kind of one) with a trusted handy person e.g. check a trade, recommendation, so at least you know theres an option.

I sometimes watch You Tube videos - amazing everything is on there - on how to fix things, or ask my Dad (who sometimes proclaims to know but actually doesn't!) or one or two friends for advice.

MistySkiesAfterRain · 09/06/2021 17:53

Wow rtft I thought I was doing well. I think you need a love for this stuff. It took me 3 months to measure up a blind!

LividBlabber · 09/06/2021 18:59

I have no practical abilities at all.

I pay a handyman £25ph and save up lists of little jobs until there are enough for an afternoon or morning.

(Also have a cleaner and gardener for same reasons).

BogRollBOGOF · 09/06/2021 20:12

I'd do most of those myself. DH more likely to do the door handles.

I spent a great soggy, grotty day last month pressure hosing a few years worth of grime off the paving. By the time I'd waterproofed up it made sense to do it on a grotty day. Plus no neighbours out to irritate.

mewkins · 10/06/2021 00:09

Patio is ok once you get into a rhythm. A bit of a faff but it is pretty level and I'm pleased with it!

WhentheDealGoesDown1 · 10/06/2021 05:52

I could do all of them but would probably get someone in for decorating, luckily DH enjoys doing all DIY, decorating and anything that involves a hosepipe so he does all those sort of jobs. In fact we are getting some new Ikea wardrobes and I said we could get someone in to build them and he said he enjoys doing them himself, so he is doing them.

WhentheDealGoesDown1 · 10/06/2021 06:01

Even if you can afford to get these jobs done, it is massively inconvenient to have to find someone to do these jobs and then plan to have them round and now we have the added 'because of Covid' excuse for not being able to get tradesmen to get jobs done.

HeronLanyon · 10/06/2021 06:30

I would do (and have done) all of those other than jet washing. The one time I borrowed a neighbour’s I decided it was a job I would pay someone to do - the mess I made and the filth all over me was a sight to see.
Feel life is too short to perfect that skill - I’m aware many do this themselves without drama.

Ulysses · 10/06/2021 06:58

I do most of these things. I've painted all of the rooms in our house apart from getting in a decorator to do the hall and stairs.

DD15 now was helping me power wash and paint the fence last summer.

Our bedroom door handle is broken and I can't figure out how to fix it but I was happy to give it a go and looks like I need a new one so I'll do that via You Tube.

DH has no interest in DIY at all while I don't mind it and want things done.

Agree with PP about electric screwdrivers. I also got a lightweight drill the other day as well which was really handy when I was assembling a blanket box.

Well done for fixing your boiler!

Sparklingbrook · 10/06/2021 07:22

@WhentheDealGoesDown1

I have got plumbers/electricians and decorators in during the last year no problem. But I do leave them to it and give them a key because I don't want to be there while they do it.

Didicat · 10/06/2021 07:30

Surely the teenager can decorate their own room? My parents let me do mine age 13.

Said teenager could also wield the pressure washer for pocket money. I was alway having to do something once I was old enough. Painting the garage doors was the worst, but it will teach them much needed life skills.

If I didn’t have a fussy DH who likes to do it all DIY I would probably give it all a go.

Sparklingbrook · 10/06/2021 07:33

Surely the teenager can decorate their own room?

Just because they could doesn't mean they should. Mine could have but it would have taken forever and the finish would have been very questionable. Decorator was done in 2 days and it looked good.

WineAcademy · 10/06/2021 07:36

Decorating- I hate it. I get someone else to do that.

Odd job fixing things- I'll do it.

Gardening stuff doesn't even make it on my radar. My fences need painting, have done for years. I'll have to get someone to do that, because I'll probably hate decorating outdoors just as much as indoors.

WalkingOnTheCracks · 10/06/2021 07:41

When it comes to DIY, I’m both incompetent and uninterested. And I see no point spending all weekend doing something badly when I can pay someone to spend a couple of hours doing it well.

Even if I have to work all weekend doing what I’m good at in order to pay the experts to do what they’re good at, I reckon I’m ahead overall.

nokia3210567 · 10/06/2021 07:43

All of them. I'm not a single parent though but both me and my partner are diy hands on, we did our own kitchen for example (we're both 30) x

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