ᐅ Do-it-yourself work – what tasks did you take on, and would you do them again?

We are doing the following ourselves:

• Perimeter insulation of the basement
• House drainage
• Electrical/network/TV installation
• Screed insulation
• Roof insulation
• Drywall installation
• Painting (I will probably outsource filling drywall joints and ceilings)
• Garden work (except for the light well)
• Paving work (just laying the surface – the subbase will be done by others)
• Interior doors
• Installing controlled residential ventilation system
• Gluing parquet flooring
• Building and bricklaying the garage façade

A lot of work – fortunately, from August we will live rent-free, so there is less financial pressure.

albert.hagenlocher schrieb:
...as an amateur, you’ll never be better than a skilled tradesperson...

I wouldn’t agree with that. For example, we insulated our roof ourselves, installed the vapor barrier, and mounted the counter battens. When the inspector for the building damage test (BDT) came to our attic, he asked if I had done it myself. At first, I was taken aback and thought, “Nonsense, what’s coming now?” Then he said it was obvious because no paid professional would do it that well and so neatly... The roof, including skylights and pipe penetrations, passed the BDT inspection without any issues—but the windows, installed by a carpenter (whom I otherwise thought was very good), were criticized.

Other tasks we completed ourselves include:
- Patching and painting the basement walls
- Installing interior window sills
- Boarding, filling, and sanding the roof structure
- Setting up the network (a great, relaxing job if you have steady hands)
- Additional wall sanding
- Installing laminate flooring
- Drywall installation (my new favorite hobby)
- Building and installing the construction stairs
- Installing lighting fixtures
- Painting everything
- Installing baseboards
- Wallpapering (just a few square meters)
- Hanging doors
- Many, many small tasks

What still needs to be done:
- Exterior landscaping (paving, planting, etc.—a professional will handle the rest)
- Basement floor (flow coating)
- More small tasks

Would I do it again? Absolutely. Everything went really well, I learned a lot, there was plenty of swearing but also a lot of fun—and I even lost a few kilograms (pounds).
Also, I am very proud of it.

Opportunity costs are therefore not an issue for me in this case, despite having a good salary.

Almost all the help came from my father-in-law. My mother-in-law helped with cleaning and cooking excellent food.
I didn’t want to risk my friends messing up my house. They were only allowed to stop by for beer breaks. By the way, I can absolutely recommend beer for housebuilding (and other occasions too).

albert.hagenlocher schrieb:
And as a layperson, you will never be better than a skilled craftsman.

I wouldn’t agree with that.

When working on your own home, you might do things differently and sometimes even better than a professional.

And a quick word for the desk workers here:

Satisfactory work is only that which is produced with your own hands. Everything else (including doing nothing) can lead to burnout… not necessarily, but it’s a likely path.

Painting something or putting together a makeshift solution is rewarding: you see a tangible result afterward, and that brings pride. Sometimes that pride lasts longer than the material itself (just a little joke).

Psychologically tested and proven effective.

An amateur can superficially make everything look beautiful, but is it technically correct beneath the surface?
I am also not an office horse. Regards

albert.hagenlocher schrieb:
Certainly, a layperson can make everything look perfect on the surface, but is it technically correct underneath?
Besides, I am not an office worker. Regards

My approach has already been described in #3. However, anyone who is impatient and a bit careless should stick to painting the garden shed – that can also make you very proud!

Stupid tilers, why do they even do an apprenticeship when you can manage without one.
You have never seen a bathroom done by a skilled tiler.
Your comparison is flawed.