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RVAisMyHome t1_j4pkkg5 wrote

Best advice is to start small and drive in. Start with painting and small drywall items after watching YT. There is only so much you ca screw up with those items. And if you do screw up don’t worry as at worst you could cal a professional to resolve it.

Build your tools up slowly as well as your confidence.

If you do call professionals observe what they do to get tips and tricks for how they operate. They really have items that make the impossible seam easy.

Good luck.

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[deleted] t1_j4q6ww1 wrote

Also, don't buy the expensive tools b/c "I want to buy quality that I can use for a long time!" because you will just end up spending $300 on a nail gun + compressor set that you use twice in a year and not again for 3 years. When the battery powered Ryobi nail gun is not only like 5x cheaper but also lighter and doesn't have an annoying compressor to lug around.

I kept buying what construction workers bought b/c it was quality. I found myself spending way too much money for the projects I was doing to the point where I over-analyzed things and then got very dissuaded and just started hiring people to do the stuff I needed done.

I definitely have become the "pay someone to do it" guy on anything more complicated than what my basic tools can handle. I realized that my time is more precious than anything... and that was BEFORE my child was born. Now especially.

My dollar goes further by not investing 9 hours into a project and pay someone to do it for 3 hours while, at that time, I work extra at my job and in long term it pays off 3x in my professional career over time.

Source: This is an extreme example but I once spent 11 hours fixing my dryer. I went where no licensed man should go. I started a small fire. I learned a lot... then i bought a used dryer for $200 and it's been running for 5 years now lol - Waste of time but a good lesson overall.

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RVAisMyHome t1_j4q7igg wrote

Honestly, buy quality tools when they are foundations but then either rent from a Home Depot place or buy cheap at Harbor Freight if it is just a once or twice sorta thing.

As for paying, I agree but sometimes the lessons you learn are invaluable doing it yourself. And for some it is a bit of a reach the mountain top high when you tackle something you didn’t know you could do.

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ptt2020kpl OP t1_j4svp4h wrote

I didn’t know you could rent tools! Thanks!

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RVAisMyHome t1_j4sxa22 wrote

Another great tool rental place is “the shed” out in goochland. They don’t have as many tools but they are in newer shape than Home Depot. And a bit cheaper I have found as well.

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ptt2020kpl OP t1_j4svnbq wrote

Im hoping to start low budget and thrifty lol

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ptt2020kpl OP t1_j4svj58 wrote

Thanks for the suggestions! I am trying to start from very easy diy and slowly work myself up to slightly more difficult tasks. I don’t want to go in over my head tho!

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