Homeowners need some basic repair skills
HOME REPAIR
A few years ago, while working on a story about finding an old-fashioned handyman, one such fellow told me of a specific task he did for a couple each spring. Both husband and wife were so mechanically challenged that they’d hire him to change their light bulbs.
Honest.
Another time, speaking before a senior-citizen group of about 50 women, I asked how many of them knew the locations of their utility shutoffs. In case of emergency, did they know to close the valve for water or natural gas? Could they find the main breaker switch on their electric service panels? About 10 hands went up. One woman muttered, “My husband always took care of those things.”
Married or single, every homeowner should be able to do a few household tasks. These range from the simple — locating valves and breaker switches that feed water, natural gas and electricity to the house — to the modest — like replacing a light switch (a switch, not a bulb).
The tasks we figure you should be able to perform don’t require special hand tools, either. You’ll find most of them in your toolbox or utility drawer. If they’re not there, you can buy them — most of the tools are less than $10, and the materials less than $20 — at hardware stores or home centers.
And why, you ask, should you know how to perform these tasks? The reasons range from saving money to gaining a measure of independence.
For example, a widow recently told me an electrician would replace several of her faulty outlets for $145 apiece. Another electrician estimated $45 for each. “Why such a disparity?” she wondered. She never got an answer. If she were able to do it herself, she wouldn’t need one.
Depending on style, receptacles cost between $4 and $20 (ground fault circuit interrupters are more expensive). Replacing one is a 10-minute job.
Being able to perform these small jobs also means you don’t have to bother your daughter’s husband or a neighbor. You simply roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. And what’s better than that?