Home D.I.Y.

[gbb]

Never said you couldn't do it at a later date, but the fact is you paid for an expert to turn up, when you wanted him to, to fix it when you wanted it fixing. That's what you paid for

And when people say "it's not the money", it's the money.

It's called regret. Regret I didn't get the chance...it doesn't change anything, I'm not heartbroken, just slightly rueful.

And it's not the money, think it if you like, doesn't matter to me.

 

[gbb]

On the plus side, just fixed a non functioning oven fan. Excess cooking grease seems to have jammed the spindle, all good now.
Going by the locksmiths rates (£108 for 10 minutes work) I have just saved myself £420 for 45 minutes work (just having some fun )

 

[Alex321]

priced up some 2x4 online and got my mother to drive me to pick up 5 x 2.4m lengths... but they only stock 3m lengths so a quick on the spot recalculation meant i'd only need three lengths... got them to the garage and started cutting them to size and realised i needed four

I did very similar to the opposite last year, when I was building a stud partition wall in the garage. Calculated how many 2.4m lengths I'd need, looked at the timber yard pricelist and realised it would be cheaper to get 4.8m lengths and cut them in half. Forgot to halve the quantity!

What made it worse was when I then got to the timber yard, they didn't have any 4.8m in stock, so I just said, OK, I'll take twice as many 2.4m. Duh!

We have manged to use most of the excess in the garden, as supports for some decking, and corner posts for some raised beds, I only have two lengths left in the garage rafters now

 

[Drago]

Never said you couldn't do it at a later date, but the fact is you paid for an expert to turn up, when you wanted him to, to fix it when you wanted it fixing. That's what you paid for

And when people say "it's not the money", it's the money.

Its like people who don't even know how to change a wiper blade themselves bleat about the cost of garages and second guess any professional diagnosis they hay have receoved, then shop around and use the cheapest place they can find. Then having had Fred in a Shed waste time and money not fixing it properly they then have to pay again to take it to a decent garage to get the mess sorted. Car forums are replete with such tales of woe.

Things cost what they cost. If you can't do it yourself then there are no shortcuts that bypass paying someone that knows what they're doing and is willing to do the job diligently.

 

[gbb]

Interesting side of DIY is (talking about myself here but same probably applies to many people() is the realisation that on some jobs, you just can't do it as well, as quickly as a tradesman and looking round my house, I know where the minor muck ups are, where the shortcuts were taken. You'd never see them but I know they're there.
I accept I simply don't know the best way to approach a job, don't have the in depth knowledge of how to physically do the job, often don't have exactly the right tools for the job..,,but still manage to get a perfectly acceptable finish.
But walk into a house where tradesmen, and good ones have been, you can see the difference, I can't achieve that.
25 years of home ownership, the only tradespeople I've had I are...
Son ( gas engineer) to service and occasionally repair the old boiler.
Plumber to install a new boiler and ancillaries.
Locksmith to repair a dropped door.
Double glazing installers on two occasions, full install plus 2 new doors 20 years later.
I'm really struggling to remember any others barring warranty repairs.

DIY by me In 25 years.
Everything barring the door job up post.
Two major and full kitchen refurbishments, 4 days work each time.
One major bathroom refit, 4 days work.
Every carpet, every bit of decorating, hard flooring, every other plumbing job barring the boiler install. Minor electrics, shower install, all decorating, replaced double glazed panes and locks, everything.

Must saved many thousands over the years.
Ironically, arthritis is bringing me to the point I simply can't do it anymore, I physically ache ALL the time so hand in pocket to pay tradesmen may become a more regular thing for us.

 

[Drago]

I'm pretty good at DIY. I'm not in jhnbssllslslslsls's league, but I can do most things. However, I know my limits and if there is something I have neither the skills or equipment to do, or to do to a high standard where it might be visible, then I don't begrudge paying someone who has taken the time to acquire both.

 

[gbb]

It's also funny how our personal histories drive our decisions, even when they're no longer relevant.
I was skint for many years early in our marriage, always making ends meet.
You simply cant afford to usd a garage mechanic or tradesman, or very rarely at least,so you find a way. It's less than perfect but hey, what choice do you have.
Over the years, we have become comparatively comfortable financially...but I can't shake off that 'I'm not paying someone else when I can do it myself

 

[Drago]

For me its a bit of a character flaw. If something isn't right or is broken it needs putting right ASAP or it will bug me terribly. In most cases the quickest resolution is for me to reach for the hammer. Saving a bit of cash is a nice by product of this, but is not the real motivation behind it.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Over the years, we have become comparatively comfortable financially...but I can't shake off that 'I'm not paying someone else when I can do it myself

I identify 100% with this, my father was exactly the same as well

 

[CXRAndy]

A little bit more done before the rain 🌧️ appeared

Rain covers. 4 more to do

 

[bruce1530]

"Dad, can we move that radiator to the other wall?"

Daughter has bought a 90-year old house. She's decorating the living room, had stripped the walls, got a plasterer in, and lifted the carpet. There was a trapdoor in the floor.

We removed the boards - hole was too small for me to get down, daughter could just squeeze in. Getting back out needed a tug! So cut an additional board.

Plenty space underneath - maybe about 3' - we both went down for an explore. Traced the pipes, traced some electrics, came back up. Noticed that knees on overalls were very slightly damp. Didn't think any more of it.

Next night, lifted the floorboards again, the plan that night had been to pull in a few extra cables while the carpets were up. However, there was a problem - a 2" deep puddle under the floor!

It was torrential rain outside. Went out to investigate, discovered a blocked rainwater drain, all the rain from that side of the roof was ending up overflowing into a gap between this house and neighbour - and then going under the floor.

Tried to unblock it, no joy.

Next morning, tried all the usual tricks - plunger, hose, pressure hose etc - no joy. It's a "bodged drain", with a 90 degree bend buried under paving. Silted up.

Admitted defeat and called in a drain clearing company. They had the right sort of tools to clear - took less than 2 minutes!

It's dried out now, still not done that radiator or the electrics.....

 

[MontyVeda]

...
It was torrential rain outside. Went out to investigate, discovered a blocked rainwater drain, all the rain from that side of the roof was ending up overflowing into a gap between this house and neighbour - and then going under the floor.
...

My house was built c1900 and drainpipe out front just goes into a soakaway. Heavy rain meant the excess would end up in the neighbours cellar. A friend has a house across town, similar age... same thing. Gutters just go onto holes in the ground and not into a main drain. We've both diverted them onto the pavement where the run off will reach a drain. Not sure it's legal but it's a solution.

 

[Drago]

My immediate neighbour recently discovered their gutters drain into a soakaway and they've got a partial refund for 40 odd years on their water bill as they've been overcharged on the waste water portion of it. Kerchingaling, although it took a while to argue their corner.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

My immediate neighbour recently discovered their gutters drain into a soakaway and they've got a partial refund for 40 odd years on their water bill as they've been overcharged on the waste water portion of it. Kerchingaling, although it took a while to argue their corner.

Interesting I have been having exactly the same issue with Severn Trent, they offered me £60 compensation for 40 years of overcharging,

 

[Drago]

I haven't been crass enough to ask George and Mildred how much they got but I believe it was into the thousands.