Woman uses drill on wood

If you see a problem arise again and again and the only constant is you, then the problem is often…just you. This is not the case when it comes to builders.

To give you some context: Each and every builder I have ever employed has let me down.

Every. Single. One.

Since my last builder stood me up, only to call up the next day to say his phone had broken (sure it did), I have now decided to do all works – where possible – myself.

DIY for the win

The word I would have used to describe my grandmother is: robust. She was a very capable, DIY enthusiast and despite the many half done jobs around her house she had managed to teach herself enough to do the basics – I say basics, but she built an extension which took a team of builders to later tear down. I would also like to be robust. Capable of DIYing the bigger jobs that are needed in my house without having to call in the unreliables. After all, I have given birth (twice), I can strip the walls and do a bit of tiling, no?

Tools

There is more to this than just DIY though. Most of the men I know would try their hand at the odd DIY job here and there, where as most of my female friends won’t. I can only assume we have been conditioned that way. What’s worst, the same women will quite happily manage companies but balk at the idea of using a hand drill to hang a simple picture. They will plan and cook gourmet meals for 10 but are nervous about mixing plaster paste.

Hun, if you can learn to blend, contour and highlight you can learn how to plaster that 20cm patch on your wall…save your coin!

Before you all shout ‘Not all women avoid DIY!’ or ‘We don’t have the time!’ or ‘It’s not that easy, that’s why there are professionals!’ Take a seat. Because (unless you are physically unable to lift a drill) remember, these skills were learned by the many sub-par builders who let me down – some were ‘unable’ to send a text letting me know they were not coming (Yes, i’m still angry).

In short, if they can do it so can you.

Check out Rachel Metx from Living to DIY with Rachel Metz for some serious DIY inspo: