Do you ever DIY (why did i start this?)

It's been a way of life for me since I was in my mid 20s. We live in the countryside... room painting of course, but also plumbing, building sheds, carpentry repairs, welding, some aspects of electrical system, charging vehicle batteries, small-engine tune-up, and so on.

When we need occasional expert help, we do hire it.
 

I am not a fan of working with plumbing. I would never attempt a garbage disposal on my own. MIGHT try a bathroom facet, but even those can be a pain in the rear in an old home. It’s not so much the new faucet that is the problem - it’s getting the old one out that can be the headache.

I have seen a plumber set a toilet and since I am not strong enough to lift a toilet, that’s another one I will never try to install on my own.
 
Since I am 30 miles from the closest town I have learned to do a lot of things myself. Sometimes I get lucky. Sometimes I have to pay someone to come 30 miles and fix it for me. I have put a gasket between a toilet and tank and have pulled off and re-shingled a small outbuilding roof. Car stuff I take to town.
 
Lifelong DIY'r here, had training in the Army(welding,electrical,plumbing,refrigeration, of course weapons disassembly & cleaning) and worked as some kind of mechanic or another. I used to like home projects more, but I'm trying to take retirement more seriously. :sneaky:
But if I have to I'll get -er -done, because quit frankly I want it done right and don't have a fortune to pay a repair guy.
Monday I had to pull the toilet in the master bath, as DW's BioFreeze bottle went into the toilet as it was flushing. :cautious: That was a half day's work, but it's DONE.
 
I do my car's maintenance and when something breaks in the house, I'll USUALLY (not always) be able to fix it. I was fortunate in that my stepdad was a certified, card-carrying mechanical genius. He taught me a ton of things, mostly automotive. (He was a terrible carpenter, though, not that I'm any better.)

But when we're talking pretty hefty electrical projects (like installing a whole-house generator and transfer switch), nope, I'm gonna hire the pros and dig deep in my pocket. I have a plumber that I trust with my life. I use him when I have to.

You Tube has been, and continues to be, a great resource. Learned a ton of stuff there as well.
 
I'm tearing out a back porch that rotted out over the years, and it's good for nothing as it is. I have privacy all around and the pretty view is at the front, so there's no need for a 24 X 8 ft deck back there. I will still need access to two back doors, with maybe a 4 ft walk to stairs at the end. It's going to take a while. If I worked all day,... well, I can't work all day anymore, but carpentry is a love of mine, even if I work 10% as fast as I used to. I'll get there though, and I will replace the decking with that newer composite decking with half the deck space that was there.

I remodeled a bath room last year and put in a larger shower and new vanity, a 3 week job that took me 5 months, but it looks good, and I've had positive comments on my work, although my speed is laughable. It's good that I'm retired.
 
The only labour we’ve hired is the have the house built in 2006
DH helps keep our home / garden neat / clean along with myself and repairs anything that needs fixing that includes Car servicing and repairs.
he Also installed all our outside security system that we operate / monitor with our phone, we get instant notification on the phone If the system spots someone on our property
 

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