Do-It-Yourself and Save Money
September 3, 2007 by Karen Weideman
Filed under financial matters, frugal living, money saving idea
I don’t know about you, but we rarely hire someone to do work around our house. We mow our yard and trim our hedges. We fix our sheetrock, paint our walls, install flooring and do other things to our home.
When someone tells me they paid someone thousands of dollars to paint their home I can hardly fathom it. Personally, I don’t have thousands of dollars to pay someone. Just a few weeks ago my husband and I were talking about getting our roof shingled. We got an estimate for $4200. Ouch! I told hubby he should just take a week off from work and hire someone to help him do it. We could probably get it done ourselves for 1/3 of the price.
I found a helpful site today, Hometime.com, that offers How-to Project Help such as drywall, ceramic tile, plumbing, decks, bathrooms, and more. Each cateory is even broken down for specific help. For example, if you choose help on ceramic tile, there is help on choosing a ceramic tile, choosing the right adhesive, tiling tools, countertop layout, and more.
Take advantage of building sweat equity in your home by doing-it-yourself and take advantage of this site for free tips. Good luck!
Do you do your own work around your house?
We do stuff on our own. It might take us longer, but we do get it done. Eventually. Like my front pillars. The paint was cracked and peeling, and so instead of just painting over and letting them crack again, I spent almost all summer with nasty stinky paint remover and a scraper in my hand to get down through all the layers. I would like to say, as of 6 pm tonight, I finished putting the last coats of paint on all three pillars, and they look FABULOUS!
I cant imagine paying someone to do something like that for us, something that we can do ourselves. Yes, we didn’t conquer a roof, but I feel so good that I did it myself and only spent money on the supplies!
It’s like a kid who earns their allowance . . . you appreciate it more when you do it yourself. Glad to hear your success story.
Hometime also offers videos on most projects. My Dad is finishing his basement so I checked out a couple “How to” videos from the library and a couple basement design books for him.
I built our last solar passive home with my own little hands — does that count? I had the help of my then partner of course but it was hard, hard work. I think it did help me feel more confident that I could do things on my own (not kill spiders) but fix stuff. I’m less nervous about trying new projects now.
That said, major stuff like homebuilding can put a strain on your partner relationship though. So plan ahead so you don’t get as stressed.
Are there any other websites your DIY’S would recommend-think myself doing it-so easy, OR for those less inspired to get up and do it husband’s…?