Is your man any good at DIY?

[Chouxs]

I an a man, but completely useless at it.
I get a professional in!

No, but I am. I'll give most things a go, within reason! I have built up a nice pile of tools (manual and power tools) since renovating our house, which basically needed to be ripped back to the studs when we moved in.

DH is much more stylish than I am so he picks out the colours, accents, soft furnishings, etc and I build the flatpacks and decorate

Why is it assumed as a male you should be good at DIY?

Nope. No confidence either. Fil was very handy but didn’t pass any of that onto his sons. We pay people.

He's staggeringly good at it and could build a house single handed. It's not his job by the way.

It's got to be one of the sexiest things about him.

"My man" (horrible term btw, we don't own each other) isn't great at DIY, but I am pretty handy. We ate both capable of watching a you tube video and having a go.

He's dreadful.
I'm much better.

I get professionals in

Yes and he's good enough to know when it's a job that's a complete ball ache and it's better to get a professional in. (me, too, tbh)

My 70 year old dyspraxic mother hang doors and make paths - who can't? my 50 something year old dyspraxic and arthritic self can't do those things.

Sexist

@PickAChew

My 70 year old dyspraxic mother hang doors and make paths - who can't? my 50 something year old dyspraxic and arthritic self can't do those things.

Ok, I'm sorry, that was rude of me. And I take the point: there are good reasons people can't do things. And God knows there are all sorts of things I can't do that are very basic and simple. I guess what I was really thinking was that some of the things we are celebrating as oh-so manly are actually very basic and easy, and when women do them, they are often seem as quite unimpressive. I find it weird how home-related tasks are gendered. I'm not sure why gardening should suddenly become 'DIY' if we're talking about what a man does?

Yes, he's very good at DIY, he takes a lot of pride in anything he undertakes too. We both have very demanding professions, a very large house, and family and many investment properties. So he loves doing bits to chill as a hobby. Over the years I've taken an interest in a few bits, and it's always rewarding and lots of fun.
Our properties mean we often have many contractors around, and it's great as new skills are fascinating.
I think DIY is like marmite in a way. Some men ( and women) cringe at the mere mention.

Some of these DIY SOS programmes are frightening. How these people live in homes that resemble building sites with bits started all over and never finished amazes me. How people live like that for years must be so stressful. They must find it normal after a while.

Apology accepted, sarah!

As for gardening, I'm happy to leave the heavy digging stuff to dh. He weirdly enjoys it (it just hurts me). I work out what will thrive where and look pretty and get him to plant it!

@LoveComesQuickly

Yes he's excellent, even though it's not related to his job at all.

I think it's because it being so different, it makes you really focus and switch off. It's very relaxing and enjoyable then maybe? My husband finds that in DIY I think. I know I certainly do.

@PickAChew

Apology accepted, sarah!

As for gardening, I'm happy to leave the heavy digging stuff to dh. He weirdly enjoys it (it just hurts me). I work out what will thrive where and look pretty and get him to plant it!

Sounds like a good partnership!

I love the heavy digging but I always have to check with DP where looks good to plant things as I have no spatial sense.