I have been doing a lot of repairs and upgrades on our new Arkansas home. Today I was looking for a couple of books for some rewiring on electrical and plumbing. I came across a write up on things women should know about home repairs and was in shock at how little so many women know about home repairs.
The beginning was mentioning tools a women should have. The tools was the simplest things that I have owned even before learning to do many home repairs. Things such as a hammer, pliers, and a screw driver. I personally recommend having your own tool set, even if you have a partner.
I am a single mom. I have owned the last two homes I have lived in. I have also learned to do most of my own home repairs on those homes to save a lot of money.
For example, today I am putting all new outlets and switches in my sons room. The outlets I am using are safer and have USB ports for electronics. They are also beautiful cosmetically, so it increases the home value over time. If I would have paid an electrician it would have cost me around $500. It could have takes a week or more to get an electrician here to do it also. So learning to do this project myself has only cost me around $50 in materials and about 4 hours of my time.
So how did I learn about home repairs and upgrades? I read a lot and watched a lot of videos. If I noticed a project that I would like to do, I would look up how to do it. As long as I was comfortable doing it, I purchased the supplies and did it myself. It is not always something you do correctly the first time, but it does save a lot of money and makes you feel accomplished once it is completed.
Things I have done myself to upgrade my new home so far;
- Piped in water for ice maker
- Mounted new vanity
- Replaced plain mirrors with cabinets in all of the bathrooms.
- Painted all the rooms and bathrooms
- Put up smoke detectors
- Replaced all faucets in bathrooms
- Replaced most outlets
- Made a pathway in our yard with only rocks and gravel from the yard
- Replaced outdated light fixtures
The fixtures and old items removed from the house will all be cleaned up and resold, unless it is unsafe. So, I saved a few thousand dollars in labor by doing these things myself, while increasing my home value by a few thousand dollars.
Never doubt the things you can do. Up until about 10 years ago I had never done most of this on my own. It took me time to learn. Do not get me wrong, I would love to have a man to help with a lot of these things, but I have been a single mom for a long time. I learned that I need to do things to save money and keep my home in proper repair. It is always good to know how to do things on your own. You never know what could happen.
