If you are a woman who lives alone or one who co-habits with other women, there are many home maintenance tasks you can do without the help of a man. It is no longer a men-only thing. As long as the task doesn’t involve lifting extremely heavy tools, materials, and other hefty stuff, many women can do a lot of DIY upgrade and improvement tasks around their homes.
Women now carry out kitchens and bathroom remodelling works from start to finish. They repair and recondition furniture. They paint walls and ceilings and even attend to those irritating plumbing problems. A woman can fix ironmongery, install a new doorbell, do minor electrical works around the home, and even fix a faulty dishwasher.
So, if you are a single independent woman, a single mother, or a young lady living alone, this is your ‘time to shine’. You can do this. And with the help of the millions of tutorials out there on the web in both content and video formats, we really don’t have any excuse calling in the plumber, tiler, carpenter, or house painter to take care of things. They’ll not only charge you a ‘bomb’ for a couple of hours work, but they also take their time, stretching it so they can charge you for a 2-day job. Something you can finish in half-a-day. If you can do-it-yourself, you will save yourself tons of money.
So, if you are a single independent woman, a single mother, or a young lady living alone, this is your ‘time to shine’. You can do this. And with the help of the millions of tutorials out there on the web in both content and video formats, we really don’t have any excuse calling in the plumber, tiler, carpenter, or house painter to take care of things. They’ll not only charge you a ‘bomb’ for a couple of hours work, but they also take their time, stretching it so they can charge you for a 2-day job. Something you can finish in half-a-day. If you can do-it-yourself, you will save yourself tons of money.
Get the Right Tools Collection
The first thing you need to prepare for if you decide to do your home’s maintenance works yourself is to get a collection of tools. So, how do you know the right types of home maintenance tools to have? Functionality. This is the most important benefit of any tool. Now which tools perform the most functions, and therefore are a must-have?
- Hammer
- Power drill
- Combination pliers
- Vice grip
- Measuring tape
- Screwdrivers set
- Power circular saw
- Utility knife
- Pliers set
If ever you find that you need a particular tool that you don’t have, it will be time to get creative and use what you have around the home to get what you want.
For instance, if you need to replace the garbage disposal unit of your kitchen sink, and need more than two hands to accomplish the task, get ingenious by using the jack from your car to position and hold the unit in place while working on it from above.
You can either make or, buy a lovely easy-to-carry tool organiser or some box-like container to store all your home improvement tools. You can also sew (or buy) a pretty ‘workwomen's’ apron with functional pockets to hold smaller tools in a convenient place whilst doing your maintenance tasks. Have you seen the wonderful toolkits for home improvement tasks designed strictly for women? There is really no difference in its tool content, except that they come in lovely eye-catching feminine colours.
For instance, if you need to replace the garbage disposal unit of your kitchen sink, and need more than two hands to accomplish the task, get ingenious by using the jack from your car to position and hold the unit in place while working on it from above.
You can either make or, buy a lovely easy-to-carry tool organiser or some box-like container to store all your home improvement tools. You can also sew (or buy) a pretty ‘workwomen's’ apron with functional pockets to hold smaller tools in a convenient place whilst doing your maintenance tasks. Have you seen the wonderful toolkits for home improvement tasks designed strictly for women? There is really no difference in its tool content, except that they come in lovely eye-catching feminine colours.
Some Household Repairs Women Can Do
Once you have the right collection which must always include a couple of power tools, you’ll be able to carry out home improvement and/or repair tasks like:
1. Fixing curtain rails using a simple power tool to drive loose screws back in.
2. Re-hinge or install kitchen cabinet doors, including fixing all necessary ironmongery.
3. Interior doors or existing doors about to get un-hinged.
4. Remove grimy tile grout and re-apply new grout filler
5. Fix/re-apply loose tiles.
6. Unblock clogged drains.
7. Fix broken furniture.
8. Paint an entire interior.
9. Tighten screws and lubricate squeaky hinges.
10. Fix a leaky faucet.
11. Use a plumbing snake to unclog blocked drains.
12. Install wood flooring or polish the existing one.
13. Apply wallpaper.
14. Assemble knock-down items.
15. Refinish or restore furnishings and furniture items.
16. Change bulbs, no matter how high the walls or ceiling can be.
If you are really stuck and don’t know how to go about a certain task, then do some research on the internet. Your first port of call should be YouTube. Remember, the web is today's library and contains millions of up-to-the-minute advice on the best ways to carry out home maintenance and improvement works. There are in-depth tutorials and tips, and much information on how to accomplish any kind of task.
1. Fixing curtain rails using a simple power tool to drive loose screws back in.
2. Re-hinge or install kitchen cabinet doors, including fixing all necessary ironmongery.
3. Interior doors or existing doors about to get un-hinged.
4. Remove grimy tile grout and re-apply new grout filler
5. Fix/re-apply loose tiles.
6. Unblock clogged drains.
7. Fix broken furniture.
8. Paint an entire interior.
9. Tighten screws and lubricate squeaky hinges.
10. Fix a leaky faucet.
11. Use a plumbing snake to unclog blocked drains.
12. Install wood flooring or polish the existing one.
13. Apply wallpaper.
14. Assemble knock-down items.
15. Refinish or restore furnishings and furniture items.
16. Change bulbs, no matter how high the walls or ceiling can be.
If you are really stuck and don’t know how to go about a certain task, then do some research on the internet. Your first port of call should be YouTube. Remember, the web is today's library and contains millions of up-to-the-minute advice on the best ways to carry out home maintenance and improvement works. There are in-depth tutorials and tips, and much information on how to accomplish any kind of task.
Get Help If It’s Beyond Your Skills
If you absolutely must, do get some help rather than mess things up. this, of course, applies to the more complex tasks. You can get a go-to-book on home improvement tasks and ensure you keep such books where you will quickly find them to refer to, not stuck in the back of a cupboard somewhere. And if you wish to acquire some knowledge on home repairs, maintenance, or remodelling, you can learn from:
- 'Habitat for Humanity' - You can volunteer to take part in projects within your locality. You will be with other volunteers who are also learning how to acquire home-building and maintenance skills that you will use constructively at home.
- Local Home Improvement Stores - You can get a few lessons at some local centres and home improvement stores if you have one within your locality. They will gladly tutor and direct you on how you can do certain things for yourself, including tasks such as painting, tiling, and carpentry.
- Talented handymen on HGTV - There are TV shows always on about the best home improvement tips, new ideas and effective methods used. You can learn as much as is possible from watching professional designers re-do homes and carry out home improvement tasks. They always have the best home improvement ideas for making any DIY repairs or decorating jobs around the home easy.
If you are a beginner or a budding enthusiast, some home improvement stores can also teach you:
- How to use a hammer, saw and lathe
- How to operate and use simple power tools such as hand drills, sanders and jigsaws
- How to sand and stain wood
- How to paint interior walls easily
Some local DIY centres or Home Depot stores hold the best home improvement 'how-to- do-it-yourself' classes, and they have detailed tutorials that will guide you through every step. Additionally, you can also have online chats with home improvement department staff online. They are always helpful and will clearly explain what you need to know and do. Not only that, but you will also be advised on tools and other things you’ll need to purchase to get your repair jobs around the home done.
All it takes is willingness, perseverance, and a bit of courage to begin. This will perhaps be a call to unfold more of yourself as you may have hidden qualities that you never knew you possessed. Trying your hands out on home improvement and repair tasks is an area where you can actually discover your talents.
Further Reading:
DIY Home Improvement and Repairs – Do It Yourself and Save Money
Simple Painting Techniques for Interior Walls
Bathroom Makeover Idea – How to Turn Your Bathroom into a Home Spa
