there are a lot of women on here that do flips and rehabs. but i think they all use people to do the work.
are you looking for how to do the actual work or things to look for? i doubt that any videos would be geared specifically toward women though... if you want to know how to change a garbage disposal, just look up "changing a disposal". not "show women how to change a disposal".
I'm looking for how to do the necessary work that a woman can do without extra help. It saves money to do it myself. It would be nice have a source for us women to help other women.
Keela, I'm a woman and I can tell you from experience that changing a light fixture or installing tile is the same for a guy as it is for a woman. I think that for women, however, there is the "fear" of doing it, because it's been so ingrained that this is "men's work". And maybe guys don't understand that aspect.
The primary things I get outside help with are things that I know would take far longer for me to complete than hiring someone out. I do the small things that it would waste someone's time to come out and do a job for.
For example if I wanted a light fixture changed out, that takes just 15 minutes. It would be hard to convince a contractor to come out for a 15 minute job. But if I had several hours worth of work, then it makes sense.
There are some people that post on here that hire everything out, because they feel that their time is more valuable doing something else. That's fine, but I'm not such a big fish that I have 10 rehab projects going on at once and can't do things myself.
The only two considerations your gender would have is 1) as Dawn A. mentions above, the fear factor and 2) your physical ability to do the work in terms of heavy lifting.
I am a woman and I do the major renovations myself, sometimes alone and sometimes with help, without regard to gender. (my major plumbing/hvac company is owned by a woman) Not having been raised doing hands-on repair work, I did have to learn how by using books, video, wiser people around me and the good 'ol school of hard knocks and busted knuckles. I occasionally hire day laborers for stuff that just needs two people. Books I especially rely on are 'Renovating Old Houses' and Home Depot's "Home Improvement 1-2-3."
The only gender specific teaching of which I am aware is at our Home Depot - they often have 'handy woman' classes and I have to say, it used to annoy the pee-willy out of me when they gave me a pink flyer and I'm buying construction materials whilst covered in paint, caulk and bandaids. As I get older and wiser?, I'm trying just to think it's funny.
I know that they sell pink hammers and such. I used to think it was condescending, but if it gets a woman to just give it a try, then maybe it's worth it.
I actually do use a smaller hammer, because it fits my small hands. I'm only 5' 4" tall and so yes, I can't lift very heavy things by myself. But I figure, a gorilla can lift heavy things and I'm not a gorilla, so I should be happy about that. :)
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the show Rehab Addict with Nicole Curtis. She's a small framed woman and does most of the work herself. She isn't afraid to tackle any project.
My wife is only 5' tall and has a corporate job by day but helps me on weekends, even doing tile or anything else I need help with since I taught her. She is also a bodybuilder and can lift more than 99% of the men in the gym!
You can learn to do anything you put your mind to and if you can problem solve you can find ways to move heavy objects yourself, i move things all the time that should take two or more people. I have even installed a 12' run of upper cabinets with no help.
I grew up watching my mom do painting, wall papering, reupholstering furniture, refinishing furniture, etc. There was no internet and I never saw any kind of how to books laying around. We couldnt afford to hire things out so she just did it herself. And did it well. After i moved out of the house, my dad remodeled the basement by himself. He had worked in a suit his whole life. He did a great job.
Some people just have the aptitude and dexterity to do this kind of work. Others dont. The key is in identifying which kind of person you are. Too bad there isnt some kind of test out there for making that determination, as Ive seen multitudes of people in the trades who DO NOT have ANY business in the business!!!
BTW... If I had the opportunity to choose my workers from a pool of DIYers whose projects Ive seen, 80% of them would be women!
My mother in law helped me re-roof my garage some years ago. Wasn't the first roof she had done. My father in law had a pretty thriving business for some years building sheds, and she was part of that business. Last time I visited (January), my sister in law showed me the house she had just bought. She'll rehab this by herself, though I'm sure with some help from her (grown) kids. If you imagine the worst junker possible, this house is probably worse. She's a doctor, by the way.
Don't let your gender limit what you think you can do. One of the wonderful things about the internet is the availability of information. You can indeed find a video on you-tube or somewhere for just about any task. I needed to remove a 300 pound cast iron bath tub recently. I found numerous suggestions and videos for how to safely smash it to pieces. It was definitely some work, but not nearly as bad as I feared.
I'd just look for how-to videos, don't worry about whether it's a woman doing the work or not :) Check out Rehab Addict as mentioned above for inspiration...
I've always loved doing what is traditionally 'man's work'- I am an engineer, I can drive a tractor, skid steer, telehandler, back a trailer up with the best of them. My limitations in the rehab type of work are few- I don't do chain saws, and my husband's huge 'Hole Hog' drill is another no-no for me. Anything I can't move by myself is usually something that would take two men anyways. I don't do roofs unless I absolutely have to, and then only if it's just the first level- I am terrified of slipping off a high roof!
So, I'd say you should be able to tackle most of the work if that's what you are into. If you even have to carry plywood or sheet of drywall, do yourself a favor and get one of those drywall buddies- it's a plastic handle that helps you carry those panels. My husband thought they were dumb, I insisted on getting one, now we have two and use them every time we need to move something like that!
First of all, motivate yourself by deciding how you will spend all the money that you will save by doing as much as you can by yourself! Then start small, picking minor projecs that need to be done soon and using the Internet and the wonderful people at Home Depot as your sources of information. You will learn fast!
Remember that your first priority will be safety, but don't let worrying about safety discourage you. Safety can be managed.
Once I started doing projects myself I was surprised--even startled!--at all the friendly encouragement I got from men! It began to dawn on me that they must be mystified sometimes at women's reluctance to do home repairs and improvement.
Of course, you mention doing "major" renovations, and I'm not sure what you mean by "major." I do use professionals when doing so saves a great deal of time or when a great deal of muscle is required to do the job.
Go for it, Keela. Just make sure you always know where the main water shut-off is, haha!
I second the recommendation on Home Depot's "Home Improvement 1-2-3". I bought it for myself as a present when I got my first house and have referred to it again and again.
It's empowering for anyone- male or female- to have basic handyman skills.
When I get intimidated by a project, I remember a favorite "inspirational" saying of a friend of mine that goes "Remember, people do this stuff all the time; and you're a person, right?"
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the show Rehab Addict with Nicole Curtis. She's a small framed woman and does most of the work herself. She isn't afraid to tackle any project.
I have learned to do a lot after the first rehab where I feel as though I overpaid for certain things, but I watched the contractor and asked a lot of questions. YouTube/Google has been a good friend of mine through out the years and BP forum.
Each project I am more hands on meaning, sheetrock, painting, laying carpet and tiles, measuring, and shopping for materials- we typically let the skilled people do the electrical/plumbing if needed and although I am present during the demo part-I haven't learned to handle the bigger heavier tools .
Most of the time when I need to learn something, I'll watch a bunch of YouTube videos about it. I'm cheap, so I'll also pick up a lot of books from the library.
Another great source of information is retired construction workers. Most retired guys are bored out of their skull, if you can find a guy who's worked a trade for 40 years, odds are pretty good you can talk him into teaching you. Some of them are old school enough they have a hard time letting go, or dealing with a woman as a peer, but if you can find one of the old guys who is just happy as hell to talk to you about the different ways to join a cabinet, keep them well fed (cookies, buy them lunch, etc) and treat them like gold, and they'll help you like nothing else can.
I also will harass/watch any contractor doing something I'm not skilled at. My main conclusion is that I am really glad I have a top notch plumber to work with, and it helps me judge the work of other contractors where I have zero interest in doing that skill myself (I don't want to be an electrician, at all).
The last option I didn't see anyone mention is join a Habitat for Humanity work crew. They'll teach you how to do all sorts of things, and you'll also get a chance to network with other people who are builders and know what they are doing.
It's been a long time since I did fix and flips, but that worked pretty well for me.