Home

[Mominohio]

---

@Gram W wrote:

I am a widow of 73.   My husband and I, our children and our grandchildren all believe in DIY.  We turned out houses into the homes we wanted.

My family is the DIY kind for everything.  My sons purchased older homes early on and have remodeled them to their liking and growing family.  They now have beautiful homes with acreage but they can not be taxed for new homes.   They thought of downsizing but why buy a new smaller house with higher taxes and less land and a new morgage.  When the grandchildren come they will need the extra rooms.

The men hate the new cars because they are made so you can not do much.  Everything is tightly packed under the hood.  Today's cars seem to required a  computer trained mechanic with special tools who is trained to do as the computer says.   We had 5 trips to the dealership before they decided that the car's "brain" was at fault for all the incorrect diagnosis.   They said we should not complain because we got new parts. ???   Excuse me.  We paid for 5 repairs when the first 4 were not needed.  Thank goodness we still have a few small  independent garages who are owned by real mechanics.  They are worth waiting in line for.

---

@Gram W

Props to those 'real mechanics'! I'm married to one!

It is a fine line in that field now. They need to understand so many things in so much more detail (especially electronics) than back in the day, and a really good mechanic has all the updated knowledge, technology and tools, but the understanding of the basics and the science behind it all that got them through in the old days. 

There are indeed more 'mechanics' today that are totally reliant on the fancy machines to tell them what is wrong, rather than know and understand the theory and science as to how it all works, and I guess we are seeing that in more and more fields. 

Glad to say my husband is really well schooled in the old and the new. Getting harder to come by guys like that.

[Mominohio]

---

@BirkiLady wrote:

We began DIY projects with our first home in 1972. We were just out of college, had moved to a state away from our family and friends due to DH's job and purchased our first home as newlyweds. It was a cute three-bedroom range with attached garage, but it had zero personality! We began by ripping out the carpet, wallpaper and a small wall in the kitchen. It was fun! DH had helped his dad with projects while growing up and was a great painter, so that was the first project. He painted the interior, which made a huge difference. We had new carpet installed. We sanded down the kitchen cupboards and restained them. Lovely! We began landscaping and planting shrubs . . . I was having the time of my life. Realized the house didn't have any downspouts; just gutters leading to space. DH went to Lowe's for the correct information and brought home the materials to install the downspouts. They worked the first time it rained. 

We sold that house in one year and made a lot of money. We were hooked on the fix 'em up and sell 'em fast. We did the same thing with the second and third houses. My husband was transferred to the East Coast. We bought a lovely, charming old home with great bones. It simply needed redecorating and flower beds cleaned out and replanted. This was MY project . . . and became our favorite home. Leaded glass windows on the built-in china cabinets in the dining room. Leaded glass windows throughout the upper portions of accent windows throughout the house. Mahagony woodwork in immaculate condition. Sterling silver doorknobs, outlet covers,, etc. I redecorated the home and updated the yard. This was a place worthy of parties and entertaining often - and we did! Several years later, another transfer. Crushed, I put the home up for sale "By Owner". Of course if sold within a couple of days like our other homes had done.

We've never loved a home like that one since. We've never wanted to DIY again. Perhaps age and financial independence play a part, but we had FUN in those early years. That gorgeous home spoiled us. We agreed to hire professionals when we moved from that home. It was too painful to leave so much of us behind in a home, community and neighbors we had literally fallen in love with! <sob> 

---

@BirkiLady

I had a home much as you described (although not as grand), with such charm and personality, and craftsmanship they simply cannot recreate today. We needed to move on, and some 22 years later I still pine for that home, and don't think I'll ever get over not being able to pick it up and move it on along with me!

[AuntG]

People must be doing some of their own projects based on all the trucks and trailers at the home improvement stores.

[VaBelle35]

Better Homes & Gardens magazine still has their DIY profile on the last page of the magazine.  People are still doing pretty elaborate things.

Pinterest is one big DIY website, too.

[151949]

Our home was built only 7 years ago but it still requires constant DIY projects to maintain it to our standards.I think anyone who owns a home is always required to be working on maintainence.