To wonder if there’s a need for basic home maintenance training

[butterybiscuitbasic]

Ok this is inspired by another thread, but there seems to be a basic lack of knowledge when it comes to basic home maintenance. Things like bleeding radiators, draining washing machines, preventing damp and the like.

I know when I moved into my first home it was my dad who showed me this type of stuff, so perhaps as we become more a nation of knowledge type workers these skills are being lost, or we are just more likely to assume problems and call someone in.

However I think it would be useful if these “skills” were perhaps covered in school, or even if letting agents/mortgage providers offered some sort of basic online training or manuals.

Schools did do something similar by offering DT/Woodwork/Metalwork lessons.

But they've been cut and cut and many schools just don't offer it at all now. It's not a proper GCSE, apparently, to be able to use a hammer, saw, drill, lathe or any other type of equipment, according to parents. The most some get under the auspices of 'DT' is the chance to take the Textiles or Graphics section of an Art GCSE.

Yes but who remembers a thing from their woodwork lessons? It always amazes me when people think you should know something because you were taught at school. I can barely remember anything from school.

"schools did do something similar by offering DT/Woodwork/Metalwork lessons."

They were never about DIY or home maintenance though. I remember making my own thing to put pencils in, as if a pencil case wasn't good enough!

"I don’t understand why people need to know how to grow food or sew. It’s not the good life."

God yes, I'm not going back to the 19th Century.
Where the hell would I grow food in my little flat anyway. And don't say on the windowsill.

"shame, quit useful to change a continental plug from a UK plug grin"

I just use an adapter.

I think the information is easily available for a lot of the things mentioned, if people don't have the desire to go and find this information they're unlikely to want to be taught it either

"I get that heating is not cheap, but simple 10 min proper air out can do wonders."

I remember some friends' landlord going apeshit because they had the heating on and the windows open. I decided then never to rent a place with 'all in' as the LL can often try to control your heating use.

I had no idea people changed their own locks. If it was that easy, we'd all be burglars wouldn't we?

I still know how to use a drill, a saw, the safety procedures, soldering, wiring, how to hammer nails in without hammering my thumb or damaging the wood, which screws to select for whatever materials I'm working with, how to read a plan, an isometric projection and a wiring diagram, plus a whole load more that has actually kept me in employment and/or enabled me to fix things or identify the point at which I say 'Nah' and book a professional. I might not have actually needed to physically anneal metal in my adult life, but it was bloody useful that I already knew that a blue flame is much hotter than a yellow and that you must always isolate something from the electricity supply before working on it.

But I suppose I was actually paying attention rather than twatting around in class so it had a chance to sink in.

Not really. You need the door to be open to change a lock.

Yes 100% need an adulting class type thing at school - stuff like
Home maintenance & safety renting and buying advice
Finance, Tax, salary, credit agreements, mortgages etc.
Contracts
Basic health and self care

@Gwenhwyfar changing the barrel of your lock is not the same as breaking in.

www.diy.com/ideas-advice/how-to-change-different-types-of-door-locks/CC_npcart_4100001.art

These along with other life skills are important to learn. I teach my children life skills (cooking, cleaning, laundry, gardening, how to food shop, meal plan, public speaking, time management, etc) age appropriately.

My mother didn’t teach me anything and when I moved in with DH at 19 with a baby neither me nor him could cook, wash clothes, run a house etc. I don’t think that was fair for my mother to do that to me and for MIL and FIL to do that to DH. I won’t let my kids be like that.

It’s down to parents not the schools. Schools already have such a limited budget. My children are home educated so we have time for learning all of these important things. But I can see how it could be hard to find the time if you work full time, kids are in schools and wrap around care.

For me I was never allowed to help at home "you dont know what your doing/ you'll make a mess" so I never had the confidence to try things. Even now with dp helping I'm still nervous about trying new DIY jobs and constantly seek reassurance I'm getting it right.But that was just my upbringing. Had I been allowed to practice I'm sure I would give most things a go now.

Never ceases to amaze me how apathetic individuals can be towards self sufficiency! I have a dear friend who just can’t be bothered, and will willingly live without something working in her house until her step dad comes around to “fix” it for her. She was agog that I opted to replace the belt on my breadmaker rather than simply buy a new model - it’s now a constant source of amusement in our friendship circle and I’m frequently referred to as Barbara (Good). Ha bloody ha!

I live on a new development, and the amount of people who’ve had the builders back into the house to “fix” things that weren’t broken in the first place - radiators that've needed bleeding, extractor fans simply just not switched on at the wall, water not turned on to dishwashers etc. All fuelled with much gnashing of teeth and complaints of the builders being incompetent and selling them a house not fit for purpose. All of which I would class as basic home maintenance knowledge to execute before I willingly called in a professional.

I don’t recall ever being specifically taught these skills, DH and I grew up in typical late eighties/early nineties families where practical tasks were part of our chores. Anything else far more complicated takes a quick YouTube and it’s done.

I agree with PP’s that this type of competitive apathy and “I’ll get a man in” culture will come back to bite society on the arse!

No one can say how it will bite society on the arse though??

Posted too soon - there are lots of countries where, as job creation, people do anything for money. The better off people in those countries manage perfectly ok don’t they?

My BF is South African and can’t do anything domestic, it’s obviously very common to have staff there. What’s biting those people in the arse?

Some people genuinely aren't practical at all though.
I'll have go at anything. I enjoy DIY. When my washing machine stopped working I read the book, checked the drain etc then unlocked the filter.
My sister wouldn't have a clue.
Both grew up in same house with same parents.

I suppose I just feel in the future with scarce resources etc that it might become a lot more of a priority to make/mend/maintain things. Also the cheap labour might not always be available.

I'm not really impartial as DH and I are both from families of resourceful DIYers and I'm a dedicated customer of espares. My Dyson vacuum was like the philosophers axe in the end, even changed the motor.

Scarce resources? We have just got things like Uber eats, amazon prime, mobile car repairs, I’ve just had a card through the door for a company who put up your Christmas lights for you. The gig economy is only getting bigger in this country. I take your point about scarce resources but I don’t think that will affect how we care for our homes in our lifetime unless we make a choice to do so.

@Orangesox years ago I used to work with people in new builds ... the amount of people who called someone out when an appliance wasn’t turned on at the wall was unbelievable

I agree with PP’s that this type of competitive apathy and “I’ll get a man in” culture will come back to bite society on the arse!

Why though. If people want to pay people to do their DIY what is the problem? Why should people do everything themselves? If they choose to pay someone else to do it it creates jobs.

I must have been reading too many doom and gloom climate change articles! It will be interesting to see how things pan out. Maybe not in our generation, as pp said.

I think it’s the attitude of ‘somebody do it for me’ the young generation expect others to sort their problems not even thinking to to try for themselves.