Quote:
Originally Posted by Gonzirra
Same thing. I bought first place 15 years ago. When I started out I had to call somebody for virtually anything that happened. Fast-forward to now and I don't think anything about replacing a sink drain or toilet, a compression valve, doing drywall, cutting moulding, changing outlets, hanging a ceiling fan, installing cabinets are all pretty easy. Probably half of it is having the right tools for the job and not trying to take a shortcut.
Problem was I'd never really had to look at home repair bills before, my parents rented. After a dozen pros came through charging me insane amounts for quick jobs and realizing how drastic the markup was on parts, figured I'd take a shot here and there.
It was pretty lol when I figured out that you can get a box of 10 electrical outlets for $10 and it takes 10 minutes to replace one with a wire stripper and some electrical tape. Drywall, corner bead, joint compound cost almost nothing. For less than $20 you can replace a pop-up sink drain with a decent metal one.
The first time you do any particular job more expensive, but if you just want to stick to the common/easy stuff you don't need much nor high-end expensive pro gear.
Obviously I'll still leave something like an HVAC furnace install or granite cutting to a trade pro. And now my time is sometimes worth more than the cost of hiring out, plus some jobs I just don't like doing. But there's so much that's so quick, easy and cheap to fix still.
It has made me OCD about things I didn't used to care about. 15 years ago having to jiggle the handle on the toilet was normal, and I could ignore a nail pop.
+1 to all of this
A couple of things to add
1. As you said, Knowing what you can do yourself versus when you should call in a pro is really important.
2. Have the right tools. Many power tools are really inexpensive nowadays. I paid $600 for my old table saw about 25 years ago. I could replace it today with one with more features for less than $250. Circular saws and Mitre saws, etc are dirt cheap.
3. You can rent tools that you only need once (i.e jackhammer, cement mixer)
4. The internet is a great source of info, but check several different sources to make sure there is some professional consensus on how to proceed with your job.
5. Don't start any plumbing stuff when the hardware stores are closed...lol
The only thing I didn't like working with was plumbing supply lines. Then along came pex.
Just love that stuff.