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Sidetracked Sarah

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Save Money: Learn How to Fix Things in Your Home

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Save Money:  Learn How to Fix Things in Your Home - SidetrackedSarah.com

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I’ve always had an entrepreneur’s heart!  I remember back when I was still dating Ryan, he was living in an older home with paneling on the walls.  I grew up watching my dad fix up our old 100 year old home, and he made it look easy.  I remember listening to Ryan about the paneling and I chimed in with, “why don’t we sheet rock it, it’s not that hard”.  Ha.

 

Imagine a barely 20 year old boy, who has never done much of any kind of home repair being told this.  By his girlfriend.  You know, the one who he’s always wanting to impress?  Guess what I got to help him do?  You guessed it, sheet rock (aka drywall) the walls.

 

We’ve lived in a lot of different homes since we got married over 18 years ago.  When we buy a home, we buy it for a  low price and fix it up ourselves.  We’ve vastly improved the conditions of our homes.  I’ve been pregnant, barefoot (ha, just kidding), and repairing homes for years.  (Of course, I’ve been pregnant almost 6 full years of my life…so that makes sense, right?)  My husband and I have learned so much about fixing homes.  We’re not always the best at what we do, but chances are, we know the basics of how to do it.

 

7 Ways to Learn How to Fix Up a Home

  • Books – We have a few different home repair books sitting on our shelves.  If we have trouble knowing how to do something, we look it up in the book.  We have this book:
  • The Internet – Have you ever noticed that someone else has almost always had the same problem you’re having?  Just do a general search for that question and sure enough, someone has written about it!  You don’t always find an answer in this way, but a lot of times you do.
  • You Tube – I know this is part of the internet, but I figured it needs it’s own blurb.  Because seeing how to fix something is so much better than just reading about it.  There are many videos on home repair on YouTube.  Don’t under estimate.
  • Ask a Professional – Many of us have friends and/or grandpa’s who know a little something about home repair.  When in doubt, seek out someone who has done it before.  Explain to them that you are trying to learn how to do it and see if they can explain it to you.
  • Assist a Professional – When my husband isn’t sure how to fix something or knows he’ll need support that I can’t offer (as a female in charge of little kids), he’ll ask a friend of ours (who is also a contractor) if he can pay him to help.  The friend is getting paid, but it is usually well worth it, as he’s always very knowledgeable about the home repair.  He knows the fastest and best ways to get the job done without it looking like a little kid fixed it.
  • Watch HGTV – Yes, seriously, lol.  Of course, if you need to know right now, that won’t work, but if you would just like a general education, this is the channel for you!  I don’t tend to be a TV watcher, but while we’re on vacation, when I want to lay around, I’ll watch HGTV for the fun of it.  I learn so many bits of helpful home fixing information while I do.
  • Trial and Error – Believe me, this is not always the best way, but sometimes we learn by trying.  If the new product comes with directions, we read them (or I do anyway, lol) and we follow them to the best of our knowledge.  You’d be amazed at how much you can learn, just by trying it out on your own.

 

These are the steps we go through when we begin a renovation.  Do we fix everything in a home?  No, definitely not.  In fact, as we’re getting older and busier, we’re having to teach ourselves to hire some of it done.  It’s so hard to do that, lol, but so freeing at the same time!

 

Some of the repairs we’ve done to homes include, replacing windows and doors, laying ceramic tile, laying peel and stick tile, replacing counter tops, replacing window and door trim, ceiling fans, light fixtures and plumbing, etc.

 

Tell me about some of the home repairs you’ve learned to do?

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