There you sit, paralyzed with fear, as your house slowly falls apart around you. There’s that leak from the kitchen faucet, the chip in the bedroom ceiling that seems to get bigger every time you look at it, the cracked window pane in the living room, and let’s not even mention the doorknob that fell off in your hand this morning. The to do list is getting scary and overwhelming. You could get all these problems fixed in a jiffy, but you’re afraid your house would be swarming with a horde of carpenters and plumbers, and their bills would end up surpassing the national debt of Australia. And as you sit and think about all this, plaster begins falling on your head.
This is not a good situation. Not a good situation at all. But here’s the good news! You can save costs by having a crack at it yourself – all you need is to have faith in your skills. Many tasks require little skill or effort. If you put your mind to it, you can tackle those simple home repairs all by yourself – all you need is a little direction. And the following article will tell you how to fix two of the most common problems, and teach you a little bit of DIY home repair in the process.
You can do it!
It’s all about attitude. So, maybe you sell insurance, or maybe you’re a pet groomer, or maybe you’re a treasure hunter. What do you genuinely know about home repairs?
Well, that fact is that you know a lot more than you think. Why do we say that? Because you have common sense, and if you look at home repair projects from a common sense perspective, you’ve got 90% of the problem solved.
Example: that chip in the ceiling? Common sense tells you that you don’t use glue, or duct tape to fix it.
See! We told you that you know a lot more than you thought. You know that the chip needs to be patched, smoothed over, and then painted. This is not rocket science. So, once you’ve figured this out, head out and purchase what you need (assuming you don’t have it already).
You’ll need the following:
- a ladder
- a putty knife/scraper
- sandpaper and sanding bloc
- plastering material
- ceiling paint.
That’s it. Just five items, several of which you could already have, or borrow. Or better yet, buy a repair kit with these items already included.
Is this simple or what? Time to complete? About an hour – and that includes time for the plaster to dry.
How about that leaky faucet?
This one probably really scares you. After all, we’re talking water here, and you likely envision making the wrong move…and then seeing your house float away down the street.
But here’s the thing: This repair job is even easier than fixing that ceiling. Honest. The steps are easy, quick, and will fix that faucet from dripping for years to come.
What do you need? Well, we needed five tools for the ceiling. For fixing the faucet you’ll need – Ta Da – just two. That’s it. And what would they be? A screwdriver and a washer – both items you can buy online or in your local hardware store.
But what about the how to?
Well, slide yourself under the sink and turn the water off. You use the screwdriver to remove the faucet top and the washer. Clean the area, plop the new washer in, and screw on the top. Turn the water back on and voila, no more leak.
Average time to repair? Under five minutes. Average you’ll save on your water bill? One heck of a lot less that the cost of the screwdriver and washer.
Are you getting the hang of it now? Sure you are.
Most DIY repairs are s-i-m-p-l-e.
The important thing to remember is that once you sit down and look at repair problem logically, you’ll find a logical way to fix it, and as long as you have the correct tools, you’ll have no problem.
Patch a hole in the wall? No stress.
Replace a missing tile? Just like a two piece puzzle.
It’s all a matter of common sense, and believing that you can do it. Then there’s the added benefit of self-satisfaction you’ll get from doing the job yourself. Not to mention the big bucks you’ll save from not having to call a plumber or carpenter.
Ha! You can even laugh all the way to the bank if you’re confident enough.
So what are you waiting for? Hop up off that couch and let’s get started on those home repairs! Right now would be a good time!
What items are you putting off on your to do list right now that you know you can accomplish? Our list has a running, wailing toilet on it.
