The best thing about owning a house...

[swbsam]

I'm a new home owner and have been a bit spoiled by being a tenant - I'd never call myself handy, mostly since I never had to be. Now, less than a month into owning a house, I've learned how to change a lock (first it took me 2 frustrating hours, now it takes me 10 minutes), fix a hole in a door, paint properly, cut and solder copper pipes, fix leaks, use a propane torch, etc. etc.

I seem to learn something new every week and, while it was exhausting at first, it's kinda liberating. My dad is a landlord as well and always relies on hired help - luckily I can't afford that, so I'm constantly learning new things.. And I feel kinda butch!

This was more of a blog than anything, wasn't it? HMmm- Go out there and fix something in your house/apartment! Google will guide you and the sense of accomplishment's a great feeling.

 

[rasczak]

have fun!

 

[Sea Moose]

Originally posted by: swbsam
I'm a new home owner and have been a bit spoiled by being a tenant - I'd never call myself handy, mostly since I never had to be. Now, less than a month into owning a house, I've learned how to chance a lock (first it took me 2 frustrating hours, now it takes me 10 minutes), fix a hole in a door, paint properly, cut and solder copper pipes, fix leaks, use a propane torch, etc. etc.

I seem to learn something new every week and, while it was exhausting at first, it's kinda liberating. My dad is a landlord as well and always relies on hired help - luckily I can't afford that, so I'm constantly learning new things.. And I feel kinda butch!

This was more of a blog than anything, wasn't it? HMmm- Go out there and fix something in your house/apartment! Google will guide you and the sense of accomplishment's a great feeling.

i cant stand "do it yourself" types. because usually when people fuck up, they call in contractors to fix and then proceed to whine about price. you might be an exception to the rule, but if you need advice, my area is HVAC.

igas and rubicon are people you should speak to as well

 

[Engineer]

The best thing about "truly" owning a house is having it paid off!

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Engineer
The best thing about "truly" owning a house is having it paid off!

yeah...that goes for anything....

 

[swbsam]

Originally posted by: Sea Moose

Originally posted by: swbsam
I'm a new home owner and have been a bit spoiled by being a tenant - I'd never call myself handy, mostly since I never had to be. Now, less than a month into owning a house, I've learned how to chance a lock (first it took me 2 frustrating hours, now it takes me 10 minutes), fix a hole in a door, paint properly, cut and solder copper pipes, fix leaks, use a propane torch, etc. etc.

I seem to learn something new every week and, while it was exhausting at first, it's kinda liberating. My dad is a landlord as well and always relies on hired help - luckily I can't afford that, so I'm constantly learning new things.. And I feel kinda butch!

This was more of a blog than anything, wasn't it? HMmm- Go out there and fix something in your house/apartment! Google will guide you and the sense of accomplishment's a great feeling.

i cant stand "do it yourself" types. because usually when people fuck up, they call in contractors to fix and then proceed to whine about price. you might be an exception to the rule, but if you need advice, my area is HVAC.

igas and rubicon are people to talk to too.

Oh, I keep plenty of professionals employed Last week a gate builder took about 2 weeks of my pay and this week an electrician will .. actually, do a good job that he'll deserve every penny for.

I wouldn't mess with gas lines, electric lines, skilled artistic level work (gate welding), or anything that could burn down my house or kill my renters if I screw up..

But I called a locksmith and he wanted $300 for what turned out to be 10 minutes of labor on my part, once I figured it out..There's, of course, a happy middle ground.

 

[Sea Moose]

Originally posted by: swbsam

Originally posted by: Sea Moose

Originally posted by: swbsam
I'm a new home owner and have been a bit spoiled by being a tenant - I'd never call myself handy, mostly since I never had to be. Now, less than a month into owning a house, I've learned how to chance a lock (first it took me 2 frustrating hours, now it takes me 10 minutes), fix a hole in a door, paint properly, cut and solder copper pipes, fix leaks, use a propane torch, etc. etc.

I seem to learn something new every week and, while it was exhausting at first, it's kinda liberating. My dad is a landlord as well and always relies on hired help - luckily I can't afford that, so I'm constantly learning new things.. And I feel kinda butch!

This was more of a blog than anything, wasn't it? HMmm- Go out there and fix something in your house/apartment! Google will guide you and the sense of accomplishment's a great feeling.

i cant stand "do it yourself" types. because usually when people fuck up, they call in contractors to fix and then proceed to whine about price. you might be an exception to the rule, but if you need advice, my area is HVAC.

igas and rubicon are people to talk to too.

Oh, I keep plenty of professionals employed Last week a gate builder took about 2 weeks of my pay and this week an electrician will .. actually, do a good job that he'll deserve every penny for.

I wouldn't mess with gas lines, electric lines, skilled artistic level work (gate welding), or anything that could burn down my house or kill my renters if I screw up..

But I called a locksmith and he wanted $300 for what turned out to be 10 minutes of labor on my part, once I figured it out..There's, of course, a happy middle ground.

the force is strong with this one

 

[Aharami]

yep. ever since becoming a homeowner, I've learned how to - paint properly w/o flashing, run electrical wiring, properly seal off an unused electrical box, put in recessed lights, properly tap into existing power sources for new light fixtures, patch holes in drywalls seamlessly, put up new drywall, create new walls, how to lay down tile and grout properly, take down old cabinets and put up new ones, put in new faucets/sinks, put in new toilets, plus various other small things. I think Ive saved over 15K in labor costs over this year. Owning a house sure does teach you a lot

father in law is pretty good with those things, esp small electrical stuff and I learned most of the stuff from him

 

[swbsam]

Originally posted by: Aharami
yep. ever since becoming a homeowner, I've learned how to - paint properly w/o flashing, run electrical wiring, properly seal off an unused electrical box, put in recessed lights, properly tap into existing power sources for new light fixtures, patch holes in drywalls seamlessly, put up new drywall, create new walls, how to lay down tile and grout properly, take down old cabinets and put up new ones, put in new faucets/sinks, put in new toilets, plus various other small things. I think Ive saved over 15K in labor costs over this year. Owning a house sure does teach you a lot

Wow, impressive!

It's quite liberating and the money saved really does inspire new projects. Like I was in my basement setting up a washer and dryer. Since a plumber wanted $500 to do a plumbing job that cost me $20 in parts and an hour of labor, I thought I'd put that money toward finishing my basement myself, while 2 months ago I wouldn't have had the guts to consider it.

 

[Aharami]

Originally posted by: Sea Moose

i cant stand "do it yourself" types. because usually when people fuck up, they call in contractors to fix and then proceed to whine about price. you might be an exception to the rule, but if you need advice, my area is HVAC.

igas and rubicon are people you should speak to as well

hah you'll hate me. I'd rather try it once and fuck it up than go directly to a contractor. But one thing I will not touch is anything related to gas. Obviously big things like fixing the AC unit...i wont try myself

 

[CRXican]

I'd rather not have to deal with all that crap

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: Engineer
The best thing about "truly" owning a house is having it paid off!

yeah...that goes for anything....

You would be surprised at how many people think that paying off a home is a terrible idea. I was roasted 4 years ago when I paid mine off with the idea that I should have invested the extra money in the market instead of paying my home off 23 years 4 month "early". Looking at what's happening right now (markets in the shitter as well as home prices and mortgage issues, not to mention job market), I don't think my decision was bad at all!

As for becoming a handyman, since buying my home I've installed 11 new floors (floating, ceramic tile, glue down parquet, real oak nail down), painted, installed a hot water heater, replaced the blower motor and fan motor of the HVAC units, installed a roof vent, replaced motor in roof vent, new faucets, new garbage disposer, rewound garage door spring (a mother fucker!!!), redid the roof (new shingles - too damn hard, hire it from here on out), new stove, new fridge, new dishwasher, new washer/dryer (does hanging three LCD tv's on the wall count?), install new range hood, install new bathroom lights, install 4 new ceiling fans, install new lighting fixtures in halls and living rooms, and who knows how many other projects that I've done. Too many to count.

 

[Sea Moose]

Originally posted by: Aharami

Originally posted by: Sea Moose

i cant stand "do it yourself" types. because usually when people fuck up, they call in contractors to fix and then proceed to whine about price. you might be an exception to the rule, but if you need advice, my area is HVAC.

igas and rubicon are people you should speak to as well

hah you'll hate me. I'd rather try it once and fuck it up than go directly to a contractor. But one thing I will not touch is anything related to gas. Obviously big things like fixing the AC unit...i wont try myself

i dont hate you Aharami

 

[JulesMaximus]

I built a patio cover on the back of my house shortly after we bought it 10 years ago. I just repainted it a few weeks ago and it still looks great.

Other projects I've done over the years: Replaced faucets, replaced all the water shut off valves and lines, installed new microwave, gas stove, dishwasher, installed washer/dryer (gas). Replaced water heater, installed garage door opener, replaced front door lock, repainted garage door, painted most of the rooms, replaced base molding downstairs, removed old tile around fireplace and installed new tile, refinished cabinets in master bath...I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things.

 

[polarmystery]

The worst thing about owning a house is the HOA...

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: Sea Moose

Originally posted by: swbsam
I'm a new home owner and have been a bit spoiled by being a tenant - I'd never call myself handy, mostly since I never had to be. Now, less than a month into owning a house, I've learned how to chance a lock (first it took me 2 frustrating hours, now it takes me 10 minutes), fix a hole in a door, paint properly, cut and solder copper pipes, fix leaks, use a propane torch, etc. etc.

I seem to learn something new every week and, while it was exhausting at first, it's kinda liberating. My dad is a landlord as well and always relies on hired help - luckily I can't afford that, so I'm constantly learning new things.. And I feel kinda butch!

This was more of a blog than anything, wasn't it? HMmm- Go out there and fix something in your house/apartment! Google will guide you and the sense of accomplishment's a great feeling.

i cant stand "do it yourself" types. because usually when people fuck up, they call in contractors to fix and then proceed to whine about price. you might be an exception to the rule, but if you need advice, my area is HVAC.

igas and rubicon are people you should speak to as well

There's some things that'll call a pro in for either for lack of time, desire, or ability. Those include plumbing (I HATE HATE HATE plumbing), some high voltage, carpet installing, and HVAC. Many other things are well within the reaches of educated, motivated, and detail oriented DIY'ers. Kitchens, decks, landscaping, bathrooms, tile, flooring, painting, patching, trim work, ect are all fairly straight forward. You just need to do your homework, plan accordingly, set a *REASONABLE* time, material, and finanical budget.

It's the time, and cost thing that screw people. The failed DIY projects are because they either tried to do it for too cheap or tried to do it too quick...or some combo of the two.

 

[swbsam]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I built a patio cover on the back of my house shortly after we bought it 10 years ago. I just repainted it a few weeks ago and it still looks great.

Other projects I've done over the years: Replaced faucets, replaced all the water shut off valves and lines, installed new microwave, gas stove, dishwasher, installed washer/dryer (gas). Replaced water heater, installed garage door opener, replaced front door lock, repainted garage door, painted most of the rooms, replaced base molding downstairs, removed old tile around fireplace and installed new tile, refinished cabinets in master bath...I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things.

And doesn't all of that make you feel kinda bad ass? It's a new feeling, the feeling of accomplishing something in the physical world.

 

[Sea Moose]

Originally posted by: swbsam

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I built a patio cover on the back of my house shortly after we bought it 10 years ago. I just repainted it a few weeks ago and it still looks great.

Other projects I've done over the years: Replaced faucets, replaced all the water shut off valves and lines, installed new microwave, gas stove, dishwasher, installed washer/dryer (gas). Replaced water heater, installed garage door opener, replaced front door lock, repainted garage door, painted most of the rooms, replaced base molding downstairs, removed old tile around fireplace and installed new tile, refinished cabinets in master bath...I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things.

And doesn't all of that make you feel kinda bad ass? It's a new feeling, the feeling of accomplishing something in the physical world.

well its annoying when people find out you can do stuff. My old man wants me to put in new lights in his shed.... he expected me to pay for the lights and fit them!!!!

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: swbsam

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I built a patio cover on the back of my house shortly after we bought it 10 years ago. I just repainted it a few weeks ago and it still looks great.

Other projects I've done over the years: Replaced faucets, replaced all the water shut off valves and lines, installed new microwave, gas stove, dishwasher, installed washer/dryer (gas). Replaced water heater, installed garage door opener, replaced front door lock, repainted garage door, painted most of the rooms, replaced base molding downstairs, removed old tile around fireplace and installed new tile, refinished cabinets in master bath...I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things.

And doesn't all of that make you feel kinda bad ass? It's a new feeling, the feeling of accomplishing something in the physical world.

I don't know about bad-ass but I do get a great deal of satisfaction from doing these things myself.

 

[acheron]

I just have a condo, so the big stuff I don't really do (condo association does all the outdoor things, etc.) but I've done painting, small electrical work (switches/light fixtures/etc), new faucets, new wall-mounted shelves, etc. Definitely called up the pros when there was a gas leak though.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Aharami
yep. ever since becoming a homeowner, I've learned how to - paint properly w/o flashing, run electrical wiring, properly seal off an unused electrical box, put in recessed lights, properly tap into existing power sources for new light fixtures, patch holes in drywalls seamlessly, put up new drywall, create new walls, how to lay down tile and grout properly, take down old cabinets and put up new ones, put in new faucets/sinks, put in new toilets, plus various other small things. I think Ive saved over 15K in labor costs over this year. Owning a house sure does teach you a lot

father in law is pretty good with those things, esp small electrical stuff and I learned most of the stuff from him

Owning a house doesn't teach you shit about being a handyman (you don't magically become some guru ) -- it just gives you the motivation to learn to do those things since it's YOUR house.

We just bought a house and I always call my dad first. He comes over, shows me the ropes, then I proceed from there. He's a master of everything related to home repairs, so there's no one better to go to. The only he hates doing is painting.

 

[DaWhim]

I like the mobility with renting.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

It always bugged me when I lived in an apartment and saw all the little things I WANTED to fix but couldn't. Now that I got a house, I can just go and do it. Money permitting of course. I just redid the electrical in my place, and it's awesome. The next major project is to get insulation in, but I'll have to hire someone to do that. There's no insulation in any of my walls, so I'll just have them poke holes in through the outside, blow it in, and stucco patch over it. This winter I'll probably roll more insulation into the attic myself though.

<-- has a long list of projects to do now

 

[amdskip]

http://picasaweb.google.com/sk...ss#5357807637176989442

I'm in the middle of a kitchen project. Always looking for volunteers to help me.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: amdskip
http://picasaweb.google.com/sk...ss#5357807637176989442

I'm in the middle of a kitchen project. Always looking for volunteers to help me.

I would but you only have one box of Rice Krispies to eat!

I did the same tile floors in my two bathrooms. Love it!

Good smart man too to be using concrete backerboard under the tile. Much, much better than the jerkwads that try to install in onto plywood (or even worse, strand board).

Edit: Great work throughout your house. Very nice!!!