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So, more generally, you could say that you can save money by doing a task yourself that you usually leave to a professional specialist. In most cases, this is c

So, more generally, you could say that you can save money by doing a task yourself that you usually leave to a professional specialist. In most cases, this is clearly ridiculous. I'm not going to start sewing my own clothes, or doing maintenance on my car beyond maybe changing my own oil. What makes home repairs different?

war1025 6y ago
> In most cases, this is clearly ridiculous. I disagree. I would guess most of us have thought before, "I sure get paid a lot for what amounts to not that difficult of work." Most professions are like that. > I'm not going to start sewing my own clothes My wife enjoys sewing and makes or alters the majority of her clothing. It's more work than buying, but the fit is better and she has fun doing it. > doing maintenance on my car beyond maybe changing my own oil. Lots of people are into car repair. Having delved into it a little in the past few years, you can get surprisingly far with a decent set of wrenches, some jack stands, and a torque wrench. > What makes home repairs different? They really aren't. If you own the house you live in, then why wouldn't a naturally curious person like most of the people here try their hand at some of the work? It's a very easy thing to tip toe your way into and gradually build your skills. Get a hammer, a saw, a tape measure, and a drill and suddenly the world is your oyster around the house. If you want to hire a professional for every little thing, then great. That keeps them in business. But most of the work is hardly beyond the abilities of the average person. Especially given that you can start with the easy things and build from there.
nicbou 6y ago
It's not just about the money. Doing things yourself is rewarding. It also makes you good at more things than making and spending money. This could be useful if the economy goes south, or if you lose the ability to work. Fixing things yourself also means that you don't need to deal with professionals, which can be hard to pick and have weird schedules. Also keep in mind that you pay other people with your post tax income. If you both charge the same rate, you'll need to work for more than one hour to buy one hour of their time.
AngryData 6y ago
Maintaining your own car is not ridiculous. Ive spent less on vehicle repairs over the last 15 years than most people spend in a single year on car payments for something "reliable". How much does getting your brakepads replaced cost you? For me it is $15, and I buy better brakepads than most. The tools consist of a set of sockets and a jack. Some random sensor goes bad? I can get 4 different sensors that are literally are plug and play for the same cost as just having a mechanic tell me I got a bad sensor. In some cases you could replace every major sensor in your car for less that the cost of having a mechanic find and replace a single bad sensor himself.
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alltakendamned 6y ago
Not OP, but I just rebuilt a big wall outside for 85 bucks in materials and a week off from work by reusing the old materials, where a contractor quoted me 12000 to build a new one. By all means call me ridiculous. You do you.

war1025 6y ago

> In most cases, this is clearly ridiculous. I disagree. I would guess most of us have thought before, "I sure get paid a lot for what amounts to not that difficult of work." Most professions are like that. > I'm not going to start sewing my own clothes My wife enjoys sewing and makes or alters the majority of her clothing. It's more work than buying, but the fit is better and she has fun doing it. > doing maintenance on my car beyond maybe changing my own oil. Lots of people are into car repair. Having delved into it a little in the past few years, you can get surprisingly far with a decent set of wrenches, some jack stands, and a torque wrench. > What makes home repairs different? They really aren't. If you own the house you live in, then why wouldn't a naturally curious person like most of the people here try their hand at some of the work? It's a very easy thing to tip toe your way into and gradually build your skills. Get a hammer, a saw, a tape measure, and a drill and suddenly the world is your oyster around the house. If you want to hire a professional for every little thing, then great. That keeps them in business. But most of the work is hardly beyond the abilities of the average person. Especially given that you can start with the easy things and build from there.

nicbou 6y ago

It's not just about the money. Doing things yourself is rewarding. It also makes you good at more things than making and spending money. This could be useful if the economy goes south, or if you lose the ability to work. Fixing things yourself also means that you don't need to deal with professionals, which can be hard to pick and have weird schedules. Also keep in mind that you pay other people with your post tax income. If you both charge the same rate, you'll need to work for more than one hour to buy one hour of their time.

AngryData 6y ago

Maintaining your own car is not ridiculous. Ive spent less on vehicle repairs over the last 15 years than most people spend in a single year on car payments for something "reliable". How much does getting your brakepads replaced cost you? For me it is $15, and I buy better brakepads than most. The tools consist of a set of sockets and a jack. Some random sensor goes bad? I can get 4 different sensors that are literally are plug and play for the same cost as just having a mechanic tell me I got a bad sensor. In some cases you could replace every major sensor in your car for less that the cost of having a mechanic find and replace a single bad sensor himself.

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alltakendamned 6y ago

Not OP, but I just rebuilt a big wall outside for 85 bucks in materials and a week off from work by reusing the old materials, where a contractor quoted me 12000 to build a new one. By all means call me ridiculous. You do you.