DIY skills are easy to pick up and can save you money while being rewarding. Especially true if you own a house or townhouse where you are responsible for maint

DIY skills are easy to pick up and can save you money while being rewarding. Especially true if you own a house or townhouse where you are responsible for maintenance. Learning basic plumbing, carpentry, and wiring can save you from expensive contractors. Things I've learned to do over the years: re-plumb sink after new countertops were installed, install a dishwasher, a garbage disposal, deck repairs, finish a basement including wiring, etc. DIY things I've stayed away from: gas lines, major repairs/jobs like roofing, HVAC, and flooring/tiling. Basic wiring can be intimidating but if you are doing simple stuff like adding an outlet, installing a ceiling light/fan, replacing a switch, etc. they are do-able, safety first. Tangent: People are noticing rent costs going up a lot across the US. A naive view is "it's the same apartment why is rent 20% higher?!?" Part of this is the cost of maintenance has gone up. If an apartment complex was planning to re-roof a building next year - their costs probably have doubled.