re: How handy are you with small jobs?

I'm handy to the point of doing something once and never doing it again if I can afford it. I've replaced all the flooring in my last house. Never again. I've built a shed and fence. Never again. I've laid shingles. Never again. I've painted interior and exterior of a house. Never again. A lot of this has to do with the fact that I make at least 3 times the amount of money I did at the time I did those things. I won't pay to do something simple like move an electrical and cable outlet up to wall mount a TV. But anything that I don't look forward to doing, I just pay for now. They mostly do it a bit better anyway.

It’s actually quite simple. Not growing up with a silver spoon in your mouth causes you to have to figure it out if you want to get it done, with a sprinkling of gumption I suppose, and this causes you to acquire certain skill sets along the way in life.

With the advent of YouTube, there really is no other excuse besides just plain laziness to not be able to figure very basic shite out these days.

I’ll never forget the time I had to change a clutch in my truck as a kid or I wasn’t going to be able to get around if I didn’t because I didn’t have the cash to bring it to the shop. I figured it out with the help of a chilton’s book and a little time under the truck. It’s not that difficult, but if you aren’t pushed to get it done, you will never do it, and so will never add that to your list of abilities. Same can be said for many many other things I’ve learned along the way in life. This in turn builds confidence in yourself that you can figure shite out. People call it being good with your hands, when all it really is is the need to get shite done and nobody there to bail you out if you don’t.

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Only thing I’m hiring anyone to repair/replace at my house is the roof.

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and hanging doors if I have more than one! Talk about will send me through the roof.

Everything else I handle myself as well.

I replaced our gas cooktop (without burning the house down) and replaced the button pad on my PS4 controller between 4:30 and 6 PM yesterday.

Does that count for anything?

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How are you with small hand jobs?

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You should ask Trump.

When I bought a house in Lakeview in 2004, it was a bit of a fixer-upper. My Dad and I picked up the carpet and re-furbished the wood floors. I re-sodded both the front and back yards. I put insulation in the attic with one minor accident. Slipped off a beam and ran my foot thru the ceiling.

I'm getting better with fixing cars as youtube can walk you thru anything.

Plumbing and electrical I leave to the experts.

I am a millennial. Won't mess with the roof or electrical.

Roof because I don't want to fall off my mansion.
Electrical because I will hire you to work full time to maintain my aforementioned mansion.

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I am just amazed how so many people (esp Millennial) have zero common sense when it comes to simple jobs around the house

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As a "rare" handy millennial, I love reading these posts knowing how close our generation is to taking over yours. The notion that millennials know nothing and can do nothing is tired - you realize millennials are now between 22 - 37 years old now right?

How familiar are you with technology? I am just amazed how many old people cant operate a mobile device... (see how dumb blanket statements like that are?)

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I can do a good bit, but I usually prefer to just cut a check. I have a very stressful job and I highly value my free time.

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For most people in this thread it’s not about the cost either. But those of us that decide to do these things ourselves find joy in it. Many of us also have high stress jobs and highly value our free time, but we don’t look at it as a chore. It’s fun...just a different view.

There is nothing I can't do. It just takes me longer these days.