# Falling out of love DIY



## MrGrumpy (23 Nov 2019)

Anyone fall out of love with DIY? Currently paying someone to do our downstairs cloakroom. I used to do all my own projects but find myself time short these days . Think I need a boot up the arse


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## Slick (23 Nov 2019)

Nah, no boot required. Life's too short to waste any of it on DIY, plus I'm a great believer in leave every man to do his own job. Get the bike out. 👍


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## ianrauk (23 Nov 2019)

Hate diy, hate gardening. Lifes too short for such boring mundane tasks.


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## PeteXXX (23 Nov 2019)

I used to lots, for me and family, but shy away from all but essential maintenance, now. 
Speaking of which, I have to paint around the window frame in the small bedroom this morning.


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## tom73 (23 Nov 2019)

We rent so anything big is out but small day to day stuff i'm happy to do. Big painting jobs and stuff we get someone in just can't be doing with it.


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## sheddy (23 Nov 2019)

Ditto for me.
Try to make it fun, put on music or the BBC sound player.


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## Venod (23 Nov 2019)

I used to be a big DIY person, there is nothing I wouldn't have a go at, because it was the cheapest option, the car was the first thing I stopped repairing/servicing, they are becoming too complicated plus the cars I now run are a lot better than the old ones, I have never liked decorating but have always done it, we are considering for the first time to get a proper man in. I spent some time on thursday changing the bath and basin taps, it didn't go well, there was a wooden batten preventing good access to the fasteners and when I did manage to fit them, leaks were a problem.
I have the Vacuum in pieces at the moment waiting for motor brushes, I have just replaced the power socket on the laptop motheboard and I will always DIY the bikes, so I have fallen out with the DIY jobs I don't like, but I still enjoy some, I won't tackle the taps again anytime soon.


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## gbb (23 Nov 2019)

I think it's the same for many folk, me included.
I'd finish work Friday evening, have some tea then hit a particular job, say a living room. Carpet up, wallpaper down if used, new paint or paper, gloss, ceiling, new carpet..and I wouldn't go to bed until it was done.
NOW ?....it takes me ages to even consider a job...phhhh.
OA has hit me in many ways, when I get home from work, all I want to do is sit down and relax and ease out the aches...bogger DIY now (generally speaking)
A good (sadly late) friend of mine was a DIY fanatic...even he slid into indifference once he hit roughly 65.


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## MrGrumpy (23 Nov 2019)

I’ve done it all , new kitchen bathrooms , toilets. Did my own painting etc, this year since moving into our new place, I’ve done very little other than the garden. Paid painters to paint the whole inside of this house. Although i think I could of done the same or better it did save me time ! 
Funnily enough I like doing the small electrical jobs , two new outdoor sockets. Oh and I fix all our bike fleet as well.


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## derrick (23 Nov 2019)

Love it, something to do when you can't get out on the bike. I would not have my man cave if i did not DIY it myself. Many hours spent in it, the latest project is turning the loft into a gym, Will spend a bit of time up there with friends and family. Some people are just lazy.


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## Phaeton (23 Nov 2019)

Used to do everything, would never have a trade in the house, never did it right, always felt I could have done it better & the real reason we couldn't afford to do it if we paid somebody. We've taken walls down, moved doorways several times, but now I just can't get motivated, although I did put a new roller shutter door on the garage a few weeks back. But motivation especially this time of year is hard.


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## raleighnut (23 Nov 2019)

Phaeton said:


> Used to do everything, would never have a trade in the house, never did it right, always felt I could have done it better & the real reason we couldn't afford to do it if we paid somebody. We've taken walls down, moved doorways several times, but now I just can't get motivated, although I did put a new roller shutter door on the garage a few weeks back. But motivation especially this time of year is hard.


Similar here, only thing is as a Cabinet Maker who worked in Shopfitting I generally can do it better. It's become a fair bit slower since I did my leg in but I still do most things (other than Plumbing)


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## keithmac (23 Nov 2019)

I'm on a DIY forum and I've seen some shocking "professional" jobs.

I enjoy tiling, I go to the far end of a fart and take ages over some awkward cuts. I'd be bankrupt if I did it as a job though!.

Amount of stuff I've fixed over the years in our house I dread to think what it would have all cost..


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## BoldonLad (23 Nov 2019)

I had just about "retired" from DIY. 

Then, middle daughter split from her husband, who, supposedly "did nothing".

I am now back on the DIY trail, and, rather surprised at how much "Mr DidNothing" actually did


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## Phaeton (23 Nov 2019)

keithmac said:


> Amount of stuff I've fixed over the years in our house I dread to think what it would have all cost..


Me too


BoldonLad said:


> I am now back on the DIY trail, and, rather surprised at how much "Mr DidNothing" actually did


Yes, funny that, but I bet she can't be told


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## cyberknight (23 Nov 2019)

Depends on the job 
I will do most stuff in my capabilities but sometimes it s easier and less stressful to pay someone, had the kitchen tiled which i could easily do but time short so i just wanted it done.
I like wallpapering for some reason


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## wonderloaf (23 Nov 2019)

I've completely renovated the bathrooms in all our previous houses, so have replaced bathroom suites, retiled the walls, replastered walls and ceilings, installed showers, rerouted plumbing, etc but the last one nigh on killed me and I so said to Mrs W 'never again!' 
However we've just retired and we are now looking at downsizing to what will probably be our last house (or bungalow) and Mrs W tells me I've still got one last bathroom refurb in me (that's what she thinks) .... although I guess I won't get rid of the DIY kit just yet, just in case ....


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## lazybloke (23 Nov 2019)

Used to electrics and plumbing. Even got ambitious with bricklaying, acro props and lintels.
These days, a bit of tiling and painting is about all.


Although with solid walls letting out so much heat I have been investigating external insulation/cladding as a DIY project. Windows and doors look a faff; and do I really have the time?


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## HarryTheDog (23 Nov 2019)

The last house before this one , was a damp derelict which I did up whilst living at the in-laws and I spent every available hour on it, and I did most of the easy manual stuff on that myself including removing the plaster off every wall , pulling down and putting up all the ciellings, rewired the place myself ( before everything had to be certified) most of the plumbing, tiling etc as I am fairly handy. the house before that I did the entire kitchen myself.
21 years later and after my divorce I bought another dump ( wires hanging out of the walls, holes in the kitchen ceiling due to leak from bathroom , previous owner had started wrecking the place ready for refurb but had to sell sharpish) thinking I will have it ship shape in no time. Over a year later and I have not even lifted a paint brush. I have now gone sod it and am sick of living in a heap, ( girlfriend does not like it either) builder starts in a fortnight for at least 2 weeks, complete new kitchen, lots of plastering , complete re-wire etc while I go and stay at the girlfiend's house. 
For me time is at a premium and I have a really busy working and social life now. I want to walk out and come back in 2 weeks to a mainly new bright modern interior, but I have left some decorating jobs for my girlfriend on the GF's insistence to save money. ( I cant paint above chest height as I have a mashed shoulder joint) 
When I retire I will probably go back to being a DIY'r but at the moment, too much to do !


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## BoldonLad (23 Nov 2019)

Phaeton said:


> Me too
> *Yes, funny that, but I bet she can't be told*



I have a wife, and, four daughters, I long since learned not to waste my time trying to tell them anything


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## lane (23 Nov 2019)

Always avoided DIY and gardening as far as possible. Have been wondering about an allotment for when I retire though think that might be quite nice.


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## slowmotion (23 Nov 2019)

I'll still do most tasks. I dislike the appalling workmanship of "professionals" even more than DIY.


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## Slick (23 Nov 2019)

I can't help but think that the people complaining about the professionals are obviously not hiring the actual professionals and have maybe been selecting a contractor based on price instead of quality. 

Everyone will no doubt deny it, but using some basic checks I've managed to renovate 2 homes using 100% contract labour without a single cowboy getting over the threshold.


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## Vantage (6 Dec 2019)

I used to love DIY.
I built the fireplace in the flat the ex and I first lived in. Coffee tables, hi-fi cabinets, wallpapering, painting, minor electricals and plumbing. Loved it.
I've neither the strength, energy or will to do any of that anymore. Can't afford to get anyone else to do it either so I'm up the creek with a busted paddle that I can't be arsed fixing.
The bike however is a different story. Not even Sheldon Brown would get near it with a spanner.


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## ColinJ (6 Dec 2019)

Vantage said:


> The bike however is a different story. Not even Sheldon Brown would get near it with a spanner.


Not much danger of that - he died in 2008!


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## Milkfloat (6 Dec 2019)

I am certainly falling out of love now. We are having a fairly large extension and I keep getting more involved than I should. However, I also get to deal with some of the other issues that pop up. At the moment we don’t have a working shower as the pump started leaking. I ordered new seals with are taking an age to come and in the meantime the push fit connectors on the pump are leaving badly. Normally this would be easy, but all the valves I added about 15 years ago to the pipes have seized and even getting them off is a nightmare. I have lost count of the number of times I have drained down the whole system and mopped up water in the airing cupboard.


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## Fab Foodie (7 Dec 2019)

I lost the DIY urge a long while back, much to the chagrin of Mrs FF. I did enough begrudgingly to kkeep the place fairly ship-shape with sufficient nagging. As the son of a painter and decorator, I had acquired most of the relevant skills to do make a descent fist of most tasks except plumbing. Over the years especially when the kids came along my enthusiasm dropped along with my confidence too.

Recently though, my DIY mojo has started to return along with some confidence in my abilities. it started small putting-up shelves, making Veg growing boxes, some small pallet-wood ‘make’ projects, fixing bits and bobs and now the shed fitting-out which am really enjoying...the manly joy of sawing wood....


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## mustang1 (7 Dec 2019)

I hate DIY with a vengeance. If I had more time then maybe I would do something. I put up with mowing the lawn and fiddling with the bike a little bit. 

People don't make their own houses do they.


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## Slick (7 Dec 2019)

mustang1 said:


> I hate DIY with a vengeance. If I had more time then maybe I would do something. I put up with mowing the lawn and fiddling with the bike a little bit.
> 
> *People don't make their own houses do they*.



Lots of people build their own though. I considered it a while back as I had easy access to all the required trades but it's a minimum of a year of your life you won't get back again.


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## Vantage (7 Dec 2019)

mustang1 said:


> People don't make their own houses do they.



I kinda did. Lived in my shed for 6 months prior to leaving the ex wife.


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## Globalti (12 Dec 2019)

No, I've done three bathrooms with wall-hung pans, which required a lot of measuring and strong studwork and are holding out well but I don't want to do any more. I just stick to repairing stuff that people have told be can't be repaired and should be thrown away and replaced with new.


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## Electric_Andy (19 Dec 2019)

If I ever have to do a boring/mundane DIY job, I make a party of it. By that I mean, few pints of Old Rosie and some loud music. For me, a boring job well done is far more satisfying than a fun job that doesn't turn out as well as planned


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## Ian H (19 Dec 2019)

I have done most things in my time, and still do quite a lot. But it's a big, old house, and certain jobs are much easier to let someone else tackle. Down here, being a bit rural, we know most of the tradespeople (and they know us, I hope not in a Lloyd-George kind of way), so no fly-by-night worries. 
I did do some aerial fitting a while back...


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## Dave7 (8 Jan 2020)

Similar to others......brought up in the 50s/60s you just got on with most unskilled jobs. I am not good or handy (my nickname is Mr Bean) but I used to enjoy decorating and did all my own.
Nowadays I prefer to cycle or golf and pay the expert. Luckily I have found a really good Mr Fixit, very good at many things.
My older Bro was similar but more gifted than me. He moved house some 6 months ago and paid others to do new bathroom, kitchen tiling and decorating hall, stairs and landing. He is VERY unhappy with virtually everything.


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