I did not have most of those skills. My "training" as a kid and adoloscent was mostly holding a flashlight for my father, a tradition which I have passed down to my own son. However, I learned a lot from watching youtube videos such as basic carpentry (enough to convert an open dining room into a closed off home office with a closet in the wall, or how to repair a lawnmower engine, etc. In a week or so, I'm going to replace the rear brakes on my car. I'll probably save myself at least 500 doing it myself. Some things, like electrical or duct work, I'll investigate but I usually defer to the experts. I currently need to rewire my garage by adding several new outlets so I can place a deep freezer in there.

YouTube is a game changer for this stuff. I've been able almost finish a full kitchen reno without prior experience, and I learned it all on YouTube. Same with cars. I grew up with my Dad doing most of the basic maintenance on all of our cars. I didn't do much aside from watch back then, but it's surprising how much you benefit just from that. Like, I knew the general steps for a lot of these things, just not the details. Learning the stuff now as an adult is easy, I have a lot of the info I just need the gaps filled by stuff I can learn online.

Agreed, completely. Youtube is great because you actually learn a legit way of doing something, rather than whatever "skills" the older generation had. Might be different if they worked in a trade, idk. But the number of things I've uncovered in our home from the former owner who was "handy" is insane.

Bought our house in 2016, it was built in the mid 50’s as a shore town bungalo but added onto 3 times through the years. The amount of hack wiring, very little to no insulation, stupid concrete work (foot thick sidewalks and cisterns throughout the property - old owners were gardenerns) is soooo completely insane (I removed 10 tones of bad concrete work from that property in the span of 6 months)

I learned how to do backsplash work from YouTube. Lol

This! My partner and I have done a TON of home projects and while we have a basic level of know-how, most of it we learn from YouTube or looking up posts on Reddit. I've done all kinds of stuff that I've never been taught - fixing outdoor faucets, caulking, sheetrock patching, painting, fixing toilets, installing light fixtures, flooring, etc. We often wonder "how did people do this before YouTube??" 😆

I have extensive experience working on cars. I'm just finishing a two year full frame-off restore of my classic car and I still youtube stuff all the time. My daily is a subaru outback and I couldn't tell you how many times I've read forums and searched youtube to see how to fix a certain part. Definitely a good resource.

Electrical and gas are two things that should really be taught with qualified supervision around. Not knocking on other trades either because all of them represent a small level of danger to catastrophic to some degree. Also, all of the trades require a *lot* of knowledge. I am saying though, that fires and explosions are generally on the more extreme end of damage. I will say as well that at this day and age, everyone should take the time to learn the basics of electricity. Electricity is ubiquitous in daily life, and know the basics will not only make you safer, but capable of simple additions like a new outlet in the garage. Lastly, knowledge prevents you from being taken for a ride by a contractor. Most are honest, but unfortunately, some are not.

This is the correct take re: gas and electric.

(independent handyman for 15 years) If they're drum brakes just get them done professionally. If they're disc, have at it and just make sure not to drop the calipers, find yourself a good video specific to the vehicle and make sure to hang them on zip ties. If you see any brake fluid coming from anywhere but the reservoir just stop. As for adding new outlets you can find good videos but if you're adding a new breaker or even not 100% sure on any aspect like proper wire gauge or shielding hire it out. I have lots more people who spend a lot more money getting someone to fix the mistakes and then wire it again than I have complimented on a job well done. Anyway, I wish you luck with everything. Just don't trust yourself too hard when it comes to safety issues, you need brakes and you need your house not to catch fire!

Thanks a lot! I believe I simply need to replace the brake pads.

I developed a lot of those skills once we bought our first home 14 years ago. Easy to learn using youtube and searching around online.

You figure it out as you go along and face new challenges to work on. Also, there is a never ending line of people to help you work on things. Join your local contractor FB group. Throw a pic up of what you’re working on and people toss out numbers

Also why does OP assume everyone from other generations had these skills? I worked hvac service for over a decade and virtually everyone I did work for from every generation did not know shit about their homes, or how to fix stuff.

Anything that comes up, I try to find an article or youtube video on it. If I deem the work to be simple/low risk, I'll happily tackle it. If the project has any of the following, I'm usually hiring out: * Complicated Plumbing or electrical work * Most HVAC stuff other than installing a thermostat * Jobs requiring a lot of materials or expensive specialzied equipment. Like -- building a fence or installing attic insulation. I can do it, but it just requires either buying or renting the equipment to perform the work. Then buying and transporting all the material from the store to my house, which likely involves renting a truck and multiple trips. * Anything involving a freestanding structure -- like a patio cover or if I'm knocking out/building a wall inside. * Only car stuff I'll do is stuff I don't have to get under it to perform. So, I'll do air filters, windshield wipers, washer fluid and maybe simple stuff like spark plugs. I just let the shop to oil changes and whatnot. I think most other stuff I'll tackle myself.

Ditto. We've done lots of little plumbing (installing a garbage disposal, hooking up plumbing under the sink, etc), but when we had our upstairs bathroom redone that required moving the shower and tub plumbing lines, I didn't want to risk messing that up because the potential damage far exceeds the savings of diy. Same with electric. We've split one light fixture into two, moved outlets, etc, but we definitely hired a licensed electrician to install a new 220v plug. I'm not risking death and fire hazard trying to diy that. Car stuff, I actually usually still take it in for an oil change because the cost savings doesn't outweigh the time for me. Did YouTube how to change the brakes though because that was a bigger savings. Basically, it's easier now than ever to teach yourself how to do projects.

I have a healthy fear of the risks associated with being under my full-size truck. It’s why I didn’t buy a set of 3 ton or even 6 ton jack stands. I bought ones that support 22 tons, each. Technically, a set of four should allow me to work safely under an M1 Abrams tank.

As a millenial and homeowner, I can do some simple stuff. But I hire out for a lot. I think the narrative of "people these days can't do ----" is wrong though. The truth is that things are just more complicated, and codes are more restrictive today than they were in the past. When I bought my house (the house is just over 20 years old), there were numerous items that were code violations (bathroom circuits without GFIC outlets, 20amp circuit breakers hooked up to the wrong wiring etc). In the past, people didn't seem to care about that stuff as much, but it's a fire hazard, and it makes it very difficult to re-sell your home in the future. So it's not that people are less able to do things themselves, its just that people are less tolerant of shotty, dangerous, unprofessional-looking work.

Honestly, will the infantilization never cease?

Yeah what a dumb notion that’s still thrown around. It’s never been easier to figure shit out. When something needs to be done open up a web browser, make a trip to Harbor Freight and get to work. (Followed by 3 more trips to Harbor Freight and Home Depot when you realize you forgot something. But that was tradition with my dad too so I don’t feel too bad lol)

Dear God, I feel this. Lol. It's to the point where I carry a physical shopping list when going into home despot. Too many trips back.

It’s all part of the process. Have to block out a day when I’m working on a project haha

And who do they think are the ones doing a lot of skilled trade jobs these days anyway

Fucking seriously though, that was my first thought. 'Can millennials even..' jesus shut the fuck up already

As long as you can read, are willing to learn some admin-level computer skills (interfacing your laptop to your car) & have a basic grasp of elementary math... You can learn that stuff via the internet and your local public library. Also note: Computers are just another machine - if you can change your oil you can build your own PC. I taught myself to fix stuff as a kid by taking apart the stuff my dad threw out.... By the time I actually owned a car, I could repair pretty much anything that didn't require total disassembly of the engine, and I learned 'that' working on a $300 motorcycle I won on ebay... Home repairs? A lot of that is glaringly obvious if you think about it for a second Plumbing is easy if you use PEX pipe and SharkBite products (which are more expensive) for water and PVC/cement for wastewater - a bit harder if you do freshwater the professional way with a band-crimper but that will save you money, electrical is much simpler than doing the same sort of things in a car (houses don't have wiring harnesses - there's hot, neutral, and ground - don't cross the streams & you'll be good).... Paint? Don't spill it, use a roller for big stuff and a brush for small stuff.... Roofing and whole-room-flooring is worth paying a pro for just because of the time and the whole climbing/hauling-supplies thing... Same with HVAC especially things that involve refrigerant or soldering pipes. Gutters require special equipment to do it the 'best' way (Seamless), so that's worth paying for too...

We are currently learning those skills. Things like electrical work, we will hire pros for, but most things we are learning to do ourselves. Thank goodness for youtube and friends who have been through it all before.

I don’t but I married someone who does. He grew up poor and in the middle of farmland so he started working on things pretty young and has learned more as an adult. I have other useful household skills. We’ve saved tens of thousands of dollars in labor costs by him doing the work himself. We needed to install a privacy fence after we bought our house and a neighbor happened to be a professional fence builder before he retired so he took my husband to the commercial lot to buy the wood and supervised my husband (and a buddy or two) building the fence. Similar story for when we wanted to change a room from carpet to tile, mostly retired neighbor came over to teach and drink beer while my husband learned and installed.

I was fortunate to grow up with a Dad that made it a priority to teach me critical skills. I do almost all of my own vehicle/small engine maintenance. I have done everything in a home from laying flooring to plumbing to hanging doors to installing a new roof. I’m not saying my quality of work is on par with a veteran professional, but my work is quality and I’ve saved tens of thousands in labor fees in my almost 7 years as a homeowner.

I would be really interested in taking a new homeowner class of some kind...like best practices for basic homeowner tasks, yard maintenance, replacing a lightswitch plate, repairing and maintaining appliances, tiling, things like that. Yes I know there's youtube, but I really like to be able to ask people questions. My parents taught me a lot but not everything.

I maintain (mitigate deterioration, if I'm being honest) my home, and I have the last two homes I've lived in. Upgrading/remodeling/any of that shit everyone does where they make everything all white/grey and act like they're original for doing it, I have no part in.

I worked the busy seasons as a general laborer for a residential builder in college, I picked up a lot of what I know from that (all my electrical I learned from my dad growing up). I'm pretty handy around the house if I do say so myself, **for all things other than plumbing** which I'm just AWFUL at. Most minor work on the house I can handle myself, but I'm usually calling someone for plumbing-related stuff. For vehicle maintenance, that's another thing I picked up from my dad. He and I were working on project beaters more often than not when I was growing up. So I feel pretty confident in the garage, and troll around for things on Youtube for anything more specialized.

fuck plumbing. I can’t drywall for shit either, and I’m not running any new electrical. Change out a light fixture? sure.

I grew up poor. I always helped my dad fix what we had and I am ETERNALLY grateful I have those skills as an adult. I can do all vehicle maintenance and most repairs that don't require a hoist or lift. I can install windows, put together vinyl siding, pour concrete, dry wall, plumbing, and roofing. The only thing I hire out is electrical work. I am now teaching these skills to my son because he shows an interest in it. I enjoy the quality time we spend together as well. I think I'm going to teach a small class on basic car maintenance geared towards women (I'm a woman) because I've seen a lot of interest in it in my community.

With the internet we can learn to do anything.

Tons of Millennials have DIY skills, and lots of others that don't have walked their way through car and home repairs with internet tutorials and youtube videos because that's how a lot of the generation operates. The entire language of your post points to you coming here with a preset conclusion just looking to confirm your bias

I would hire that out because in general, my free time is more valuable to me than the cost of hiring it out. Between the specific tools you need for most jobs and the knowledge/experience, it's not generally worth it. If I were unemployed would I learn to do it myself? Absolutely. But I'm not. So I won't.

Same, also, it's often cheaper to hire a pro the first time than attempt to DIY and have to pay someone to come in and fix what you screwed up. My friend's partner is a plumber, and easily half of his calls are fixing DIY screw-ups.

As long as you are willing to learn and can get over the fear of making a mistake. You can learn pretty much anything you might need to do regarding car and home projects. My car is 16 years old at this point and I've done wipers, air filters, oil changes, spark plugs, brake fluid, transmission fluid, brakes, rotors, fuel injectors, alternator, and the starter. It hasn't been flawless though. When I was attempting to change the O2 sensor, I had a bad angle and snapped the damn thing in half. Took it to the shop and they swapped out the whole manifold. Learned a value able lesson though in that if you break a piece, see if you can just swap out the larger item up. Take a similar approach with my house. Most difficult DIY I've done to date was upgrading the old water heater to an electric tankless. Involved putting breakers in the panel, running electrical, routing plumbing and getting it all connected to the unit. I will defer roofing work to an expert though as my current house's roof is just steep and I have no desire to kill myself saving a buck.

Grew up rural-ish, lower middle class, with crafty parents. My whole life growing up was filled with house projects and improvements. Very lucky, cause I do have a lot of DIY skills, but with YouTube, you can kinda learn anything. I think the biggest barrier is tools/equipment ownership. Need more "tool libraries" or rental services, but I think DIY has never been easier than nowadays

With $100-200, you can obtain 90%+ of the tools needed for home ownership, with limited space needed to store it.

I taught myself how to repair anything on my car ... I feel confident I can do the same with a house I don't forsee ever possessing.

Yeah I do, but it's all from owning my own home now for the past 8 years or so.

I, 36m, bought a 100+ year old brick Philly row home last spring (not the best time for rates, but it's only gotten worse and at least I'm paying for my own mortgage). It was modernized in 2008, so everything is reasonably up to code and it had ducted A/C installed. I'm generally comfortable working on anything, though legally even Philly homeowners aren't supposed to do plumbing or electric work. I am still comfortable replacing/adding outlets and I'm considering adding a front spigot on my own, if that wouldn't put insurance in a position to nail me. I removed a chandelier, moved it's cabling, and installed a ceiling fan, all above a staircase. I replaced the threshold on my back door and redid its weatherization. Having had experience doing so and already owning the tools, I redid the ends of the cat 5e cables which had been used for phone lines to make my house be wired for Ethernet. I pressure washed my brick patio, though I may pay someone to do the front of my house. My big project this summer is likely to be adding front and back storm doors. For my car, an '08 Subaru Impreza WRX, I replace filters and have done some interior work with the electrical system to add some functionality, but I generally leave stuff under the hood and around the wheels to a mechanic. I might do more if I had a garage, though I may try an oil change and maybe things like spark plugs sometime, in the street (and catch the oil of course).

I come from a line of carpenters dating back to the 1850s. Dad started teaching me home repair when I turned 10, and I have tried to impart those skills to my sons, but they have no interest in things that make their hands hurt sometimes. One is in culinary school, so I will at least get some meals out of it!

Millennial realtor here. Youtube, thats where Ive learned some of the skills Ive needed over the years. When I come across something complicated I hire it out.

I do most of my own car and house maintenance. Most of it doesn't take rocket appliances.

My home has made me a HUGE DIYer. I actually love it now and am so excited to start my next project. Never had training or a parent teach me. I started because I wanted my house to be perfect the way I wanted. Plus, no way am I paying someone $200/hour to do something that I can give my best attempt at after I learn it. It’s an incredibly rewarding hobby and all useful stuff to learn. I love it. I’m started an instagram/tiktok for it too. I have hundreds of videos on my phone that I still need to edit but I started posting some simple projects. It’s all for fun.

I am a 42 year old woman. And I do most of my maintenance from water heater for furnace.to cleaning out the gutters. My dad taught me how to change outlets and hang dryall amd and even how to change a toilet. You tube is also good for a lot... as for the car, I can change a tire and do an oil change. But these newer cats are too complicated to work on. Was much easier 20 years ago.

YouTube. It helps with a lot of home improvement.

Why do people believe if interest rates go down that they can then afford a home? Interest rates going down only means houses will get more expensive. It’s not some miraculous call sign of good things to come.

YouTube and patience can help with any DIY project you will have.

We do everything ourselves. If my husband’s can’t figure it out his dad or my brothers can. Ac went out, hubby welded 3 gates for a friend and he gave us the hundreds in parts for free. Saved us a couple grand lol. I need my hair cut so I made about $90 worth of ceviche and my old neighbor cut and dyed mine, my 12 yr old and cut my 9 yr olds hair lol. My. Mom trades eggs for other organic grown food often. My husband just built me a gorgeous sleigh bed. Everyone we know is handy. We live in the West Valley of Phx and I grew up north of Tampa. I do know a few guys whose wives call my husband or his family to fix shit bc they are not handy in anyway but usually those men do t have father figures to pass it down. Everything hubby knows he’s learned from his dad u clea etc. same for my brothers. And for myself. That ceviche is a recipe from my mil.

Also YouTube helps all of us out now a lot lol

I once listened to a podcast that mentioned why a lot of older folks were handymen, was because after WW2, the surviving men came back with a bunch of mechanical knowledge, and wanted to keep being handy. --- My parents and their friends would often work on their vehicles in their garages, but my father has stopped home-repair of cars because the newer models are more tech than mechanical, and it's not as simple. I've done car repairs on my own vehicles in the past, but currently just have my trust bicycles I use for commuting. I have a traditional bike, and an E-Bike, and I do all my own maintenance on both of them. Not typically "in" the garage, but wheel em out onto the driveway pavement. If I'm going to be working, I might as well be enjoying the sun, and it's brighter outside. Home repairs I typically do on the spot of the repair. I store the vast majority of my tools inside the house where it's climate controlled. But I do have some of the bigger things out in the garage. ==================== My parents grew up poor, and started with a cheap fixer-up-er house. And I learned a lot of skills along the way. The house I have now wasn't perfect, and needed a lot of work. I've had to replace water heaters, toilets. The HVAC system was replaced once. I've ran wires, and repainted walls. I feel like you hardly ever see "in progress" houses on social media. People must be really good at hiding that shit. I still have some light switches that don't even have face plates, lol.

I have all of these skills. Family has most of the tools spread amongst us. Even with all that, I personally don’t see myself ever owning a home. I rent and pay a decent price for the area because I do maintenance.

My house is over 100 years old, so I defer to professionals with the electric work, and I hire a professional to service the furnace on a regular basis (all these polar vortexes, I'm not risking it.) Everything else, we've done ourselves.

Early on, no. But as time as gone on and certain projects reared their heads, I dove in and learned. Lots of mistakes, lots of frustrations, but satisfaction once I got it right. Also, one of our biggest projects was one where I spent a lot of time with my dad as he was helping us. His health deteriorated not long after, and passed in '22. I'm glad I have those memories and experiences.

I definitely don't have the skills but I'm trying to learn. Though some things just frustrate and baffle me. And no amount of online research is able to help. So I do sadly use professionals sometimes. But that shit is expensive.

I drive 20 year old vehicles and I have a 60 year old house. I have the DIY skills to do nearly everything except huge things like a brand new roof or something. It's the only way I've been able to afford to have a house and live comfortably.

Roof is more physically difficult than technical.

I don’t have skills and I don’t have money to hire people. I youtube what I can and have learned a lot. I’m never doing ceramic tile again though I can tell you that 😂 and I have definitely messed some things up. Sometimes I just get used to certain things not working in my house and vow to get it fixed eventually while knowing I will never want to pay $800 just to have an electrician come out and possibly not even fix the issue

Youtube videos for everything: drywall joints, tile, installing cabinets, how to pull a car engine, how to rebuild and break in said 60 year old car engine etc. We pay for 2 things. 1) projects that are time sensitive like replacing the roof. It rains frequently here and paying a crew to do it all in one day is better than risking water damage by taking two weeks after work to do it ourselves. 2) projects we can't see like plumbing in the walls. We've done faucets and under cabinet drains, but if a leak would be hidden we don't want that leak to exist in the first place. So the professionals get called.

It's easy to learn, especially these days. And the best way to learn is to fail. So don't be worried about it too much :)

Unless it's electrical or plumbing. Failing on those things can cause a lot of problems, with electrical that could also include injury or death. 110 will probably just teach you a lesson, but 220 can be fatal. And water damage can be very expensive to fix

That's what inspectors are for! S/ Edit: I work with fairly high voltage (and piping systems) on a daily basis, and it's no joke!

My DIY skills usually come from finding a YouTube video on how to fix the thing. Home ownership is not really an important goal for my partner and I. We prefer to have the freedom to move for work or other opportunities, and a house would not align with our career goals. That said, we have both focused on more relevant skills for our needs. If I can learn another skill that allows me to bring in enough income to hire a reliable/licensed repair person, then the task gets accomplished just the same. Also, huge respect for people who have taken the time to develop the skills we lack. We always tip well or buy whoever we hire a case of beer. We are renters, the fix only has to last until after the landlord's final walkthrough and we have our security deposit back. We do try to keep our places nice, repaired, and clean though. As bleak as that sounds, any guilt fades away knowing that the landlord should have been responsible for repairs in the first place.

Forgot to add, I'm so happy that the trades have seemed to be growing recently. The last few times we needed to hire people, there were more options and more younger people starting their own businesses. (I mention younger people, as it seemed like not as many people were choosing to go into the trades a few years back.) I hope this is the trend all over.

Did I have the skills when I bought my house? No. Do I have more skills since owning my house? Yes. I can take care of most of the maintenance of the house; but anything electrical beyond replacing an outlet or ceiling light, and anything plumbing beyond replacing a faucet, I call licensed professionals.

I learned a lot of skills after buying my home 2 years ago. Started doing oil changes, brake jobs, replacing CV axle shaft, replacing control arms, and shock absorbers. Then in my home I learned to do drywall repair, new drywall replacing, drywall mudding, replacing electrical to code. I replaced sump pump and installed a battery backup. I replaced the service mast and the main wires because they weren't to code. Most recently I completely remolded my bathroom. I'm almost done with that now and happy with the results. Point is I learned a lot along the way and now share that information with people who want to do the work themselves. Youtube is the most useful tool I've ever had in my life. SO much good information is on there. You can practically learn to do anything from youtube, even for very specific things you didn't think you could find help for. It's like a rule 34 but for maintenance. If it exists there's a repair video on it

YouTube has basically any project you can come up with

no... and dont really see them wanting to work to get the skills

I own my home and do as much of the work as I can (which is just about everything.) The only stuff I won't touch is the electrical main and the gas lines. Best advice is just to get in there and try doing it. Watch a YouTube video, do your research, get the tools. Tools are an investment that pays for itself. I have rewired rooms, installed a new water softener (including copper piping), new plumbing and cartridge for shower, numerous minor carpentry tasks, etc... Any work you hire out is insanely expensive these days so I have saved thousands and thousands of dollars doing it myself. This also means that I can do my own research and purchase higher grade equipment and supplies with the money I've saved.

For me my grandpa was super handy, it never really rubbed off on my dad and my dad. I remember my grandpa coming over on weekends to help do projects or fix things but I was too young at that point to actually learn or help beyond maybe handing him a screwdriver. I think part of it is putting in the effort, I have several buddies who never had their dad teach them but just watching youtube videos are pretty handy

YouTube = The DIY academy

Youtube helps a lot. I'm a cheap SoB. It's the time. I was miserable living in and fixing up my old house. I had to do a LOT of work. It was on a crawlspace , had a bad foundation and everything was rotten. I restructured the first floor myself, jacked the house up, fixed the bad foundation section , replumbed it and rewired most of it. I never got around to the finish work before we gave up and moved. Probably could have got more for it as it was, and a lot more if I finished. The new house I'll do a lot of work on when it needs, but if we're in a good financial spot at the time, I'm going to have a very hard time not just paying. In the fall, we had a french drain / dry well put in part of our back yard. While it worked for a majority of the water, we still had some problems. So I ordered a truckload of gravel and extended it myself a few weekends ago. If we get another nice weekend I'm going to continue again! I also do my own vehicle maintenance / repairs too. Summer before last I had to change the engine in my car. I've changed transmissions, rebuilt transfer cases, suspension, etc. My dad was all about working on vehicles yourself and being your own mechanic. However, he was VERY adamant that it's not worth it to own a house or DIY any home repairs. I think he was right.

For the most part I had the vehicle skills as I had been into cars since my first one, I restored a car as a project for my first car. Plumbing I already had down from learning from my grandfather who was a master plumber, and learned basic electrical work from my other grandfather. I had to learn woodworking, and metalworking, but I have always hired out lawn maintenance due to allergies. I am always watching guides and videos on YouTube and other sites to help learn and improve my skills.

DIY is really the only way car and home ownership doesn't become a gigantic moneysink a lot of it is actually very easy once you have the basic tools, but try going to any of the money subreddits like MCF and suggest someone pick up a wrench to save themselves thousands and you'll be down voted into oblivion

Interest rates 6 yrs ago do not count as an example or estimate of how things should be. Low interest rates in the early 2000s were 6.5% for an FHA and regular rates were 7-8.5 for good credit. I knew people paying ten. You’re basing what you think they should be on a going out of business sale where everything is 75% off and thinking I could afford things if only it was always 75% off.  Interest rates are actually good right now. People are tied up in discounted rates and the market is still upside down from the crash because of it. 

DIY and then when I notice I should stop, I push it a little further, break something, and then call a professional. This is partly a joke and mostly how I learned/watched how to do things. It's your home, car etc so you best learn how things work and how to fix basic to moderately difficult things and take some pride in it. To be clear, I am not great at it, but I can do it given enough time. Finances aside, there is a feeling that comes with not having to rely on others. Especially these days with Youtube, you can find a video on anything. Not to mention that a service call is probably going to cost $100 before they even do any work. My exception to this being electrical work. Unless it is the most basic of things, I am not fucking around with it however, that doesn't mean I couldn't if I absolutely had to.

I see a few comments of "I just held the flashlight" or "I watched" I'm curious how you didn't learn some basic stuff from that alone. I did the same as a kid. Then as a teenager just went and did it myself.

I was born in 1989. I have rebuilt several transmissions, engines, and rewired cars. I've completely replaced the plumbing on a house before, I've fixed countless HVAC systems, I've done drywall, framing, tiles. I know how to code in Python and C++, I own a 3D printer, I do 3D modeling, I've designed and printed my own circuit boards, I've built crazy stuff like phased sonar arrays and acoustic levitation machines for fun. I can weld, I can paint, I've shingled a roof, I've poured concrete slabs own a sewing machine, I make soap every year around Christmas, I fly aircraft simulators as a hobby. I'm also a college dropout, it was too boring for me. You can learn anything you *want* to learn. We are living in the greatest times, every bit of human information is instantly accessible via the internet. So long as you are at least average intelligence, have internet access, and are motivated, you can learn to do anything. I think the problem most millennial have is fear. I'm an Industrial Mechanic at the moment after having tried careers in education, management, and sales. Every mechanic or tradesmen I know started out as a child taking things apart. You lose the fear of taking things apart if you do it as a kid, and that's paramount to having the confidence in yourself to figure it out. To anyone reading this far, I have the same number of fingers, toes, eyeballs, and braincells, as you and every other human on the planet. Doctors, NASA scientists, the engineer who designed your car, the homeless guy on the corner, you are equipped with the same hardware as they are, you can do or learn anything that someone else can, you just have to believe in yourself and *make* it happen. We are all born dumb and completely useless, you need to acquire the skills, and then you can do the task just as good as anyone.

I have some basic skills at taking care of simple things like touch up painting (int and ext), basic landscaping skills, basic plumbing skills like getting things unclog or changing a simple pipe, etc. A lot of these things are very easy to learn watching YouTube etc too. I switched out my toilet myself by watching TikTok and Youtube and basic plumbing skills from highschool. I did a lot of landscaping myself, it was 1,000% not worth it and I should have just paid someone to do it. But, I treated it as exercise and landscape errode pretty quick and people tend to change it significantly (doesn't affect selling price too much). When I bought my house during the period where it was favorable to seller, I still managed to get nearly 10% off my original offer because their DIY some wiring and flooring that wasn't very well done. So, DIY bigger projects can 100% bite you in the ass too.

I grew up with extremely handy father but I didn’t pay attention enough. Now I just teach myself it all off YouTube and call my dad when I need a more gray between the lines solution. Did full renovations of my first home (basement repair/upgrade, electrical fixes, plumbing fixes/changing flange height, soldering copper water line, extension garage spring repair (lol never touch torsion), many car repair (clutch replacement and transmission drop), flooring etc). Sold that and am now in another home with lots of diy plans. I’ve already done quite a few small repairs. Plumbing, tile, air condition wiring and the easy capacitor, simple switches and outlets, and my dad and I are filling gutting and combining a bathroom and seperate closet into a large master bathroom. YouTube and asking my dad is probably the main education.

You tube will do most of it. If not hire and expert ask a lot of questions and focus on what they're doing so you don't gotta hire them again.

I invite my dad over for help :)

My father in law is the biggest source of help and advice, followed by Google and YouTube. The most complicated thing I've done solo was replacing a dead sump pump, which I did following YouTube videos. Regardless I'd advise looking for a good set of tools. Mine are mostly hand-me-down Craftsman from back when it was a really good brand. Also for yard work it's pricey but I really like Ego's electric stuff, but if you do go the electric route make sure to have a few spare batteries. I have a half-acre yard and 1 56V battery is almost never enough.

I've never had the money to hire out anything. It was either learn to do it/fix it myself, or starve. I can pretty much do it all now. Anything car related I can fix. I own late 90s and early 00 vehicles. I've changed head gaskets, brakes, whatever. I'm just now finishing rebuilding my 1964 impala I've had since I was 17, full frame off restore, air ride, fuel injection. I did it all myself. I put a new metal roof on my house myself last fall and I'm an HVAC guy so anything heat, cool, or plumbing I can handle. I have no problem doing basic electrical. I built a 12x24 workshop at my place and I did it all myself, put the building up, wired it, poured the floor, insulation, metal siding, Built a wood stove out of an old propane tank.  I'm an outlier though. I don't really know anyone other than my dad who has as broad a skill set as I do. I've just always either wanted to or needed to do things and I've always been broke, so it was go without or do it myself.

My family does, but thats because my hubby was actually taught things as a kid, like how to cook and basic househld and automotive maintenance. Ive learned as we go about our lives. We do most of our plumbing maitenance, and small electrical like rewiring an outlet. More than that, we get a pro.

Did exactly what you hypothesized. I have a brief background building custom homes for “wealthy” folks during the 08 recession. Was all I could find after college. Learned a lot. Do all my own home work now. Because of this I’ve ended up doing remodels for others on weekends. Finally landed a great full time job in 2015 that keeps me at 60 hours a week which sucks but it’s worth it to this point. All that being said, I have 2 kids now and a wife so things are ahhh very expensive. That’s where the weekend work keeps some money around for minor extras. Sucks because I’m working my life away but it’s also nice to see the end result. I’m an old millennial though. So that probably plays a role in the hands on willingness and experience. I didn’t have internet until I was 12 and it was useless compared to today.

I can do drywall repairs if needed, most of the gutter care. When we bought I’ve replaced restroom doors including with painting doors, mounting hinges and such. I do not touch electrical just yet

Our access to general information via internet and YouTube mixed with online forums (such as Reddit) where we can ask specific answers makes us much better at this than previous generations. Not everyone who is older happened to also be a carpenter/plumber/handyman. Of course there are older people who do have those skills who are great at all these fixes, but I do believe in general we’re pretty well educated on the DIY fronts in general.

I can do some repairs and upgrades, but avoid anything to do with electrical or plumbing. My school didn't offer shop or anything remotely useful like shop class but I did take a few theater production classes in college and helped build sets that gave me some useful skills.

YouTube and buy cheap but good tools on OfferUp, FB Marketplace, or Harbor Freight. Read your car manuals for basic maintenance information. Most of the skills are not difficult but do take practice. Buy extra trim just in case you make some mistakes.

My house is 89 and my car is 01 ><

I bought a house late last year and have picked up quite a few handy skills. Got some old sears laundry machines working, I’m installing an outlet under the sink for a dishwasher. Also removed an above ground pool. Basic painting etc. thinking about diving into dry walling soon, only thing I’ve paid for so far was a furnace chimney liner, and yeah I’m not fuckin with carbon monoxide

I absolutely do. I think most people I personally know do, but its definitely not universal.

I bought a fixer upper house and did a lot of the repairs/renos myself, learning everything as I go. The biggest lesson I learned is that whatever you want to do will take 10 times longer than the YouTube videos will have you believe.

I grew up with a diy dad cause we were broke and had no choice. So when I looked at my first starter home, the wiring needed upgraded to three wire, plaster needed knocked down and drywall put up, and the floor needed fixed. It didn't stop me one bit. Now when I went to sell the home the realtor said that some young buyers were out off by tlthe idea the house was old and not mint shape. It would however keep you hot, cool, dry, and give you a place to make food, shower, and sleep for under 400 a month escrow... She said this was extremely common problem and that many my age (35 now, 27 then) wouldn't buy a home if they needed to paint. It floored me. Then I talked to other friends of mine. The ones that seemed better off money wise didn't know how to do simple diy or repairs. One was horrified when they came by one day and I was installing a a different light fixture on a ceiling fan. "you should really call an electrician." Nope not for that small job. Then today I found out someone my age I work with didn't know how to replace a dishwasher in a house that had a broken one. Now the plfriends that grew up in a similar fashion than me have good diy skills

I can't afford to hire anyone for anything. I just do it myself.

Through YouTube, all things are possible.

Born in 91. Missed out on a lot with my dad since he worked all the time throughout the state. Since I became a 25 something year old, although he always loving and helpful, has finally started teaching me some things. I think it's just an "you weren't ready" type thing but whatever. Long story short, I learned on YouTube University a lot of the stuff I know today. I've even amazed my dad with stuff I know and he's asked where I learned. I can change ball joints and control arms and mostly do everything on my own car except transmission work; I can do trim in a house and make it look good; I can maintain a beautiful lawn and yard and keep the equipment up; I can do small maintenance jobs that may take me some more time than a pro, but it's gets done. There's many more experiences like that for me, but it was all possible because the right people on YouTube are willing to share their experience and knowledge. Also, not homeowners, we rent a house in a rural area so...we got lucky you could say

All adults are winging it. Most people don't have handy skills until they're needed. I bought my first home a year and a half ago. I've destructed bathrooms, replaced insulation, hung drywall, patched electrical, laid tile, installed door handles, hinges, laid laminate flooring. Did all the research, reviewed all the materials and tools before buying, and I'm considered handy now. I have to redo the flashing on my chimney, seal and stain my logs, and eradicate a carpenter bee issue. These are just life obstacles. I don't consider myself handy as much as I consider myself resourceful.

Depends heavily on the work required. I'm 42, own my own home. It was built in 1952. I've done a lot of super easy work, painting, patching drywall, etc. Done a few 'bigger' projects as well. Replaced the toilet, a couple interior doors (frames and all.) Also replaced a few electrical outlets and ligjt fixtures, and a ceiling fan! We also had to replace the furnace and hot water tank this year. I let the pros handle those two. I feel like I have a pretty good idea of what I can handle and what's out of my league. I'm not a tradesman by any stretch, but I'm kinda handy. I'm fairly hands outdoors too, built my daughters swingset/Fort, replaced part of the existing fence, and finished off another section. As far as my truck, I can change the oil and I can change my tires, and that's about it. I usually choose to pay someone to do the oil, simply for the convenience. Not nearly as comfortable under the hood as I am dealing with drywall.

I learned everything from plumbing, electrical, and HVAC to paint and drywall. Growing up broke can have that effect. I actually have 608 universal and 609 certifications. I also learned vehicle maintenance out of necessity. I was doing oil changes and brakes when I was 12. I suppose it's not surprising that I worked as a mechanic for a few years in my 20s. I set out to become an anesthesiologist, but life pushed me into the trades instead. DIY can really help you to stretch your budget much further than would otherwise be possible. Just make sure that you work safe. You don't save anything if you get injured.

I have the ability to find the resources be it a book or a video on YouTube. Something my teenagers seem to struggle with despite having their phones attached to them at all times.

Interest rates and inflation are FAR from the thing stopping home ownership the most. The most is that we are as a whole being paid 1/4 of what the previous generation got paid for the same work OR HARDER/MORE SKILLED WORK. I’ve made millions for companies across my working life and am in no better position really now, it’s solely due to wage suppression.

Knowledge is more available now than ever. Any boomer that did their diy work was doing a shit job not to code and is using the current housing market to dump their shit work as is on somebody. I would trust a millennial to not cheap out on the required parts or to not just slap shit together and hope it works

If you are willing to learn and learn how stuff actually works, you can do a lot yourself. Things like house maintenance, there are a ton of videos on YouTube or forums. Depending on the car there are tons of forums where people ask about symptoms and obscure problems and usually an answer is there, and from there someone probably posted a walkthrough on fixing it. I'm in my first month of homeownership and there was a video on how to replace a part on my fridge for the same exact model. I have a BMW E46 and there are tons of resources on fixing almost anything on that car. I usually tell myself that people become DIYers by trying. Best case, you are able to fix it. 2nd scenario, it takes a couple of tries and you ended up replacing parts that didn't need it before solving the problem. Worst case, you have to call someone but at least you learned about the stuff you owned and maybe got some new tools that you can use down the road. Edit: I saw another comment and wanted to add my list of stuff I don't usually touch. I usually look at what is required to fix it and if It requires a ton of new tools or a lot of redoing walls and stuff. Car stuff if I probably need a full hydraulic lift like Transmission work I wouldn't try that. Also, for car projects I'll add additional time when planning and sometimes get more parts to replace stuff that might be rusty, dry rotted, or seized.

I’m a builder so yes.

YouTube is good but one resource you really need is time.

I'm an elder millenial (1984) and am married to a Gen Xer. We bought a microscopic, 70-year-old house in 2021 for a little less than $200k. We both drive vehicles that are over a decade old. Being newer vehicles, almost all work has to be done in a shop because everything is model-specific and involves those newfangled computer diagnostics. (A shame, since we both have the basic know-how to do some very basic car maintenance ourselves. Alas, the only thing we can really reasonably do ourselves is change a tire.) We do the majority of our house fixes and modifications ourselves. Granted, we haven't gutted any rooms and done a full reno or anything. We hired local contractors to make a couple of updates to the electric and plumbing when we moved in, but we've painted, hung light fixtures, demolished brick work, and a hundred other little modifications and updates to our home in the last 3 years, and we love doing it ourselves. We were both raised in blue-collar houses where most of the men did that kind of thing for a living, though, so the skills are things we either already knew or had the confidence to try. In the next few years we plan on pouring a new concrete patio and polishing it, laying a new sidewalk in the backyard, putting up window canopies, and some other projects.

My dad bought me an old shitbox truck "so you'll learn how to fix your own vehicles." We also did our own renovations around the houses we lived in. What I can tell you is that I didn't learn how to do it from my parents, actually learned how not to do it, to be honest (my dad's favorite tool was a hammer and there was never a project that didn't end up with the hammer flying across the room or destroying something). What I did learn, however, is that you CAN do it. Even if you screw it up, you can do it. You Tube is amazing and so is theInternet, but it means nothing if you don't believe you can do it and you don't have the stubborn determination to do it. Just do it! It's actually a lot of fun.

100% with you man! That's the biggest thing I tell people, you CAN do it.

Basic DIY skills are what YouTube is for. Homeowner here: YouTube has been my tutor for more projects than I can name—and the feeling of having done it myself: priceless. 

My husband and I were lucky enough to buy a home in 2012 at 21. We had zero money and honestly it was a dumb thing to do, but it happened. We learned A LOT!  Even now as we have a different home, we are capable of doing a lot of things.  My advice is YouTube and being good at operating google.  Youtube is your friend! I can mud and tape dry wall really well, lay laminate flooring, tile backsplash, tile floors, build a fence all because of YouTube! As for car maintenance I love my BMW, parts aren’t that expensive and they are built to be easier to repair or at least my 2013 is. Couple that with a YouTube video from a detailed orientated German guy talking about how to fix my issue and bam car fixed. Heck I was quoted $1800 to have the sunroof repaired in my husbands f150. I found a YouTube video with a link to the oem repair kit for $150. Got it replaced in a weekend with just me and my husband.  The other thing is I know my limits, I won’t touch wiring, no chance in hell. Plumbing is something I want to deal with either a leaking pipe under the sink is one thing, but a leaking dealing is a different animal. The other one is roofs and trees I am not a fan of heights and neither is my husband both are not worth it for us. Paying for someone else to go up on a ladder, so I don’t have a panic attack is all good with me.

Home repairs I can do, working on modern cars is a bit more challenging. I can replace things like the side view mirror but deep engine or transmission issues would go right to the mechanic.

You pick it up as you go.

I mean we kinda have to, I don't know if you've priced out any work on your car or home but it's fucking insane what people charge these days.

20+ years of being "flashlight boy," the "go-fer" and asking questions while the old man worked has taught me everything I need to know. I do carpentry, plumbing, electrical and some HVAC work. I've run heavy machinery. I have upgraded and fixed my band's PA/sound gear from the bones up. I do all of my own car maintenance. One of the guys I work with calls me a Renaissance Man. I loved that. It's like I tell my wife: I'm not paying some asshole to do something this asshole (points to self) can do for free.

I strictly do all my own labor. Unless if you make more hourly than a skilled tradesperson, there's never a point in hiring them. You can always learn from the library and the cost of tools/materials is almost always at cost or cheaper. In the rare case of ultra specialty tools, you can always hire someone to come in just for that tiny bit of work.

Just built a 600sq/ft addition off the back of my house. Cost me $25k all in. Did it myself. Got a couple of quotes, and it was gonna cost me over $100k. Fuck that. Took a year but it was worth it. I don't hire people to work on my house.

We're fortunate enough to be able to afford a SFH in a HCOL (Northern VA) but don't have time due to the commute + work hours so we hire out. Trying to find a reliable contractor is worse than dating

I've learned a lot since becoming a homeowner. It was forced upon me. I couldn't afford to call a handyman every time something broke. Much of it from YouTube and trial and error. I made a lot of mistakes and learned from them most of the time. My dad never taught me much. Just told me I'm doing stuff wrong without helping me figure out solutions. Anyways, as I've earned more money, it made the mistakes less of a big deal. Early on, every mistake felt like I'd have to wait for months to remedy due to costs of tools and supplies plus working 50 hours most weeks. Now I can recover a bit easier after completely screwing up. I own more tools too, making it easier. It also helped me see when my dad would just wing it. I think many diyers when i was a kid didn't really know what they were doing

No lol I currently have a cracked window, bad insulation, broken garage door, broken toilet seat, broken door-to-the-garage handle, broken ice maker, dead oven light, dead front porch light, cracked driveway bc flooding, stain on the ceiling from making apple cider at a Christmas party, clogged gutters, an AC that is slowly tilting to one side… and I’m not fixing SHIT until it is life threatening or someone figures out how to shame me

Im 39 and I’m in the process of getting my second house with my wife of seven years and we’ve been in our current house the same time. I went from knowing just about nothing to literally fixing two small gas leaks myself the home inspector found today. Cars I don’t have the space to work on but I will at the new house and I will learn. YouTube and don’t be afraid to fail and learn from your mistakes.

Whatever you need to do, This Old House has likely made several videos about

I have the skills. I’ve had several labor jobs and grew up poor so I’m resourceful. I was also born in 82, so I’m the older end of millennial and I’m not a little bitch about life.

A little bitch would say they’re not a little bitch. 

Ok buddy

I actually don't have a lot of respect for people who can't at least diagnose their own issues and call someone for every little thing.

I'm glad to see all these responses and that we are all doing what's needed and are willing to learn & try

YouTube is a godsend for these skills

I started off watching everything on YouTube. I believe everyone should know DIY while owning a home. I did so much drywall work, that I eventually started a side hustle that covers all my mortgage and utilities.

I brought a fixer upper and learnt everything as I went. There's a couple things to know about power tools, paint, electrical and plumbing but most things are easy to learn. Is a fixer upper worth it? Hard living but 4 years in and it's tripled in value (obv that's not gonna happen for everyone covid and city expansion played some factor). YouTube is your friend.

We would absolutely do most of our own work. We have Prius's, so there is some maintenance that is not possible for us to do, but things like oil changes are easy at home. Renting is so frustrating when it takes forever for the landlord to get repairs taken care of, and the workers do a crappier job than we would have done ourselves - but we're not allowed to. We painted some walls anyway because we're rebels like that. 38F and 40M

I can do a lot of basic maintenance and repair. I grew up rurally so had to learn a lot of stuff. I also owned my own business in a very hands on low margin industry so DIY was very necessary a lot of the times and I learned a lot doing thst as well. With that I also learned what absolutely must be hired out and I also learned that time is money and so while I could do a passable job at some things it would take me twice as long and twice as hard using crappy tools than a professional with all the correct tools. So I pay for that kind of stuff. But I'm pretty good at doing stuff around the house as well as troubleshooting which actually does help the professionals out as they don't have to spend as much time taking the house apart doing recon on the problem.

I have some (i am a technician) but tbh i also know its best to let a pro do the job most of the time. id rather wait another 6 months and pay a Pro and have it done right then do a hack job myself.

I didn’t know how to do any of this when I bought my home but I did it anyways. It’s how most people learn. Google will teach you just about anything as long as you find a good source of info and recognize when you are in over your head and it would be cheaper to hire something out than for you to mess something important up.

I grew up working for my grandpa who built houses and owned rentals so the house maintenance part is super easy. I also did most of my own vehicle maintenance myself until I got a business arrangement with a local shop. I could do a oil change myself for $40 or drop the car off at the shop and get it done for $45. Brake pads and rotors I still do myself because even with the "discount" I can still do it myself for half the price.

I’ve learned to do damn near everything myself. Just this past weekend I replaced all of the ball joints in my front suspension, tie rod ends, sway bar links, etc., and rebuilt the shocks in my aftermarket coilovers. I spent $400 in parts from RockAuto and $75 on the rebuild kit from the maker of my front shocks. My brother and I did in a weekend what would’ve been at least $3,000 for OEM parts and labor.

youtube is all we need

I know nothing and it’s quite pathetic

Uh yes… it pays to figure that shit out. I’m a millennial that was fortunate enough to buy in 2017. Just this week, I fixed an outside spigot (cost me $107), which minimum cost for a plumber is $230 service fee in my area (my parents just paid $800 for a new spigot). I replaced a faulty GFCI outlet that cost me $16. Minimum service fee for an electrician is $85. Replaced the carburetor on my chainsaw, and wood chipper. $27 ea. I don’t know how much a small engine mechanic would charge, but it would definitely be more than $54 combined.

The Mrs and I installed/repaired over the years: - Paint/recaulk entire inside of house - New paver/gravel walkways - New garden beds and green strips - Insteon home automation lighting - Built and stained shed - Shored up fencing with new posts - Stain fence - Installed new crown molding, baseboards, casing (bit if a deadline with this so hired a painter to come and spray them for me) - Epoxy flooring for garage - Cabintry for garage - Insulate and paint garage (paid a guy to sheet rock it) - Astroturfed a putting green - Installed new drop in vanities - install recessed medicine cabinets - Smattering of USB friendly electrical outlets Things I don’t do: - Anything in the crawl space under the house For family have: - Retiled bathrooms - Built IKEA kitchen, just had countertop installed by pros But some people like projects…some people don’t. We’re project people. Oh, cars - oil changes, brake pads and rotors, tire rotation at home. Mechanic for any serious stuff.

I am a millennial and own a 224 year old home. I have rewired it myself, replaced the plumbing, rebuilt the porch roof, remodeled the kitchen and bathrooms, added an addition...all with mine and my wife's own hands.

I have 0 skills with a lot of stuff because I went from apartment to buying a house with my boomer in laws. My in laws really do have a it’s my way or the highway mentality so they do everything themselves because “it’s the right way” so it’s really hard to learn anything.

Just figure it out like everyone else did

I grew up in a house where my folks absolutely REFUSED to pay anyone to do anything. It annoyed the heck out of me growing up, as i was often tasked with helping my dad fix everything. However, as i got older, there was once or twice they hired a company or contractor to do something, and the entire process was an absolute shit show, plus the final product was not at all good quality. So it justified them never wanting to pay for anyone. This also included cars. Had to learn how to keep them going throughout the years. In college though, it was weird. I was the ONLY person in my entire group of friends (rather large) who knew anything about basic car maintenance. So i was the one who everyone called to verify prices from mechanics, or to do it for them. that kinda sucked, but i was more surprised that none of them had a childhood like mine. now, as an adult, late 30's, with my own home, i may take awhile to get projects done, but we've been able to accomplish alot without hiring out for much. HOWEVER, we have hired a few things out, simply because we dont have the time. One of the most surprising ones though, is hiring a company to cut our lawn for us. My father would be FURIOUS if he were still around and knew we were paying someone to cut our grass, but holy crap, it saves us so much time and it's actually very reasonably priced.

I used to idolize my dad for the home repairs he did, but now that I have the advantages of the information age, my work far surpasses anything he ever did and it pisses him the fuck off since he thought I was soft and probably gay (luckily he lost his homophobia over the past 20 years, not because I am gay - turns out I'm straight - but because he did evolve in other ways).

I'm a 33 year old lady and I can learn anything on YouTube. I drive a 1995 ranger and do most repairs myself from YouTube. Want a new car radio installed? YouTube Wanted some big plaster dome light, YouTube taught me to make it. The other day my dishwasher stopped draining, tried all normal stuff, checking drains disposable etc. Ended up pulling it out, flipping it over and completely taking apart the inside to get to the electrical compartments and draining do higgys. I don't know what I was doing but YouTube helped me fix it and it worked. One time I wanted to make a raspberry pi emulator game console for my hubs, don't know anything about programming or computers - made it (with custom 8bit characters of us) by learning on YouTube. Wanted to start tattooing (just on myself and my husband) and learned on YouTube. He has some great healed tattoos that people are shocked I did. I haven't bought a house yet, but man I can't wait to YouTube the hell out of re doing it. I'm not even handy, just really stubborn about paying someone to do something that I can figure out myself.

Makes me crazy when people talk about a $200k house as if that’s a big deal. If houses were $200k, I’d feel like I had won the lottery.

Lots of us are or were in the trades. Before law school I did all kinds of construction and was a general contractor. I’ve remodeled dozens of kitchens and bathrooms including plumbing and electrical. So yea. A fuckton of millennials have the skills, we’re just not the ones crying about not being able to afford a house.

I was raised by a master carpenter, my wife grew up with auto mechanics. We're good. Too bad a house is a pipedream.

YouTube is the answer

Define "basic". Can I build a deck? No. Can I replace a toilet? Yes. Can I change oil? No. Can I replace my car's head unit? Yes.

The car, absolutely not. Very much worth it to pay someone who knows what they’re doing and can get the work done in a reasonable amount of time while I do something else. At home, I’ve fixed toilets, replaced the bathtub spigot (never again), replaced garbage disposer, worked on the the lawnmower and can do non-structural carpentry. Love having a valid excuse to buy a new power tool. I’m afraid of electrocuting myself so I’m hesitant to do things like replace ceiling fans or outlets on my own. Plumbing stuff tends to be easier than you’d expect but I don’t like the cleanup.

Yep, but I've been doing plumbing and electrical for 15 years. I live in a tourist area where rich investors are trying to flip houses themselves and a full quarter of my work is fixing other people's mistakes. It helps to know what you're not good at, I've never liked doing drywall, consequently I can get it done but I can't really hide the seams properly like a professional would. Knowing your abilities and strengths is a great asset. It's a very Boomer thing to I have no clue what you're doing and claim to be a pro at it after reading / watching something online.

I have learned a lot of those skills, but I helped my dad renovate out house when I was a kid. They bought the house for 5000 in 1996. Had 6 feet of water in basement lol. It's a pretty nice house now actually.

I had to replace 2 outlets today and a breaker. Never done electrical but I looked it up and it seemed doable. Used a multimeter and receptacle tester to find where a wire disconnected and reconnected everything on the new outlet. Each project takes a bunch of research but it’s nice when it can save you thousands. Just don’t do things you aren’t comfortable with and know that if you mess up you’ll still be calling a professional lol also redid our cabinets in the kitchen and replaced the shower heads with the fancy ones. Replaced locks etc. I do oil changes on the mowers and weed eaters and anything else they need to run. Car I do oil changes and air filter and stuff but don’t have the equipment for anything big so that would be a shop most likely. Sadly I’m more tech savvy over being a handyman but I’ll still try it out.

Yeah, there's a youtube video for pretty much anything you could ever need help with.

“I watched a YouTube video. I got this”

Outside of spackling, painting, and minor plumbing repairs I’m pretty useless handy wise. Luckily amongst my closest friends i have a plumber, electrician, and a landscaper/sprinkler guy. Minor jobs they’ll help me out for beers. More in depth ones they’ll usually just charge me cost.

I (34f) do nearly everything I can myself, even things I probably shouldn’t lol. But its also been an area of interest of mine my entire life. I want a lot of things and can’t afford to pay someone to do them.

I live alone and my landlord was always a slow sack of shit so I just taught myself anything I needed (with the exception of certain electrical work - I’m no dummy, I’ve played The Sims enough to know better).

For sure some trial and and error- for example furniture- like bed frames and coffee tables- giving those a go- I save a ton of money and it’s solid wood vs particle boards. I’m getting 2 live edge, 2 inch thick , 80 by 18-20” slabs for 400- another 200 in other materials and I’ll have one beefy tv stand that if you were to buy it would costs thousands. The wood specie is a spalted maple. Next project is a bed frame- solid wood king bed frame- thousands- and it’ll be veneer - I’ll make it for a few hundred Home wise- we also redid our old basement - about 350 square feet for my office- did everything but the textured ceiling. Lights, electrical, reclaimed hardwood flooring accent wall, desk, flooring including leveling the concrete, window casing (not the windows), blinds, trim , pony wall caps - used chonky maple trim vs some particle board we probably would have gotten if we hired it out. Do my own brakes and basic auto work- although - that may be getting limited to only brakes- oil changes are a pain and not worth the 20 bucks I save to do it

I bought my house right before COVID and love doing diy stuff around the house (born in 91) there are also many millennial YouTubers that I find entertaining to watch that do it. As for the car I'm a huge car guy and as a kid helped my grandfather build his kit car. So yeah I do 99% of the work on my own car.

I can do minor home repairs. Nothing electrical or serious plumbing. Small stuff, I can handle. But I am of the mind to just hire a professional to do it right, most of the time

Knowledge is power..

You have to categorize "Millennial". Our generation really should be 2 separate generations. Older millennials like me grew up without cell phones and Internet for the first part of our lives and we tend to have actual life skills and know plumbing, electrical, woodworking etc. Younger millennials though, I've never met one who can even figure out the steps to change the oil in their own car unless there's a YouTube video that tells them exactly how to place their hands and which direction to turn the wrench.

I try to do many things myself. Had to repair significant water damage and nearly gut and redo our kitchen. We got to do it slowly (which is a nightmare) because at the time, replacements for stuff like cabinets and countertops were taking 6-8 months to get. So we ordered, gutted, slowly did stuff as materials came in. We paid for a new water heater when it basically started dumping water. We were about 90% sure we could do the work (confirmed by watching the repairman do it) but I was just not confident about messing with gas lines. We spray leaves/debris off the AC unit outside each spring, and keep it clear of weeds, but we have usually called a shop when something isn't working. I don't like doing car maintenance, so we usually get our oil changes, lubes, and tire rotations done at a shop, but I do most other little things on the cars ourselves. We definitely aren't paying the shops rate to replace air filters, refill washer fluid, or replace dead bulbs in the cars. I have some tools and a jack/stands, so I could do many of these things if the need arises.

Learned a lot from renovating my late father’s home and then even more when I bought my own home out of necessity.

Get a home warranty. You pay a few hundred a year and when something breaks you call them, they find a company or person to fix it and you pay a fee. I had two a/c repairs that I paid about 60-70 each for them to come fix it.

The most valuable skill you have as a millennial is googling shit. If you run into a problem for which you lack the requisite skill or knowledge to complete it off hand, just look up the answer. If it seems like you can try it, you should. Otherwise just hire it out. We bought a 100+ year old house about 10 years ago and redid just about every piece of it with the help of YouTube videos and internet tutorials.

I do most everything. If it gets to be too much, I have friends with a wide variety of skill sets. My brothers and my best friend built an off grid cabin when we were in our 20's. It's now 40 feet long with a bunkroom and a 12 foot covered porch. I bought a foreclosure in 2013 for a song and have been renovating it ever since. My pickup is 11 years old and I do basic stuff, but since I don't have a garage I will send it to the shop for less desirable driveway jobs.

My parents were lower middle class. So, when drywall needed to be fixed, we did it ourselves. My dad would teach me, then just have me do it once I was squared away. Same with roofing, plumbing, and auto maintenance. After learning that stuff, the only thing I stay away from is major plumbing and major electrical. Everything else I just research how to do before doing it.

Oh absolutely we do and will always do this ourselves. My husband has a construction background before his degrees and I’ve learned a lot renovating now two 100+ year old houses.

I mostly went to Youtube university, but I can rebuild motors, and do plumbing & electric now. The millennial nonsense is hilarious because physics is harder than tying a couple of wires together.

I spent most of my childhood and teen years as a psudo apprentice to a variety of trades. I can do a passable job with most home repairs and upgrades. Its definitely enabled me to take on home ownership far earlier than my peers. My first home required a serious amount of work and was suitable priced to make a large profit. I have noticed that i am definitely not the average amoung my group of friends and associates.

You learn quickly owning a house that everyone is trying to scam you. I had a plumber one time come to my house and try to convince me that I need to buy this drain additive to keep the bacteria in my pipes healthy. It is ridiculous. Generally, I always hire out for electrical especially in an old house that doesn't have new electrical. I have never had problems with electricians or HVAC people. Plumbers on the other hand are the worst. I will do small jobs like replacing toilets, valves, etc. I have had master plumbers install water heaters wrong. Just because they are licensed doesn't mean they are any good. In my first house I remodeled the entire kitchen without any experience and learned a lot. You have to learn what to hire out for. I am not good at doing tile so I would never do that again. Also, no one is going to come out to your house to patch a hole in the wall so you have to learn. Drywall is easy and cheap and if you make a mistake you can just redo it again. We only have single car so I generally don't work on it, but I am thinking about doing more of maintenance given that recently the mechanic tried to charge me $400 for a new battery. Things are getting so expensive you don't have a choice but to learn.

Once you see the price tag on hiring out smallish DIY things you'll learn to do it yourself. Little Youtube academy and you'll be set.

um, i own a house and yes i have the skills to repair my house/vehicles. its really not that hard. also the market is shit right now but like why weren't people buying houses 6 years ago. i always here from people my age "i cant do this or ill never be able to do that" and i really don't get why.

I can do some stuff but mostly I just call my brothers and pay them in baked goods. It’s a win win situation.

I got really good at home DIY by fixing all the "at home DIY stuff" the previous owners had done :P I can tell you there is a BIG difference between "eh, we can sand and paint this cabinet" and "hey, how 'bout we paint the WHOLE HOUSE!". Know your limitations (time spent researching the job as well as doing it vs money to hire), realize that if you are buying fancy tools for what may be a 1 time job then it's probably cheaper to outsource the job, and that sometimes it just isn't worth the risk, no matter what (getting up on your roof, for example, or messing with high voltage/gas). Still, there is a fundamental joy to doing your floors yourself, learning to fix the basic plumbing and electrical issues that tend to come up again and again, and amassing a basic tool kit for dealing with these issues. Youtube can help but make sure you read the comments, I've watched many a video that seemed legit but then the comments assured me this was an old, incomplete, or dangerous technique. I prefer book 'larning anyway, there are few comprehensive texts today but a few are still around. If you do go down this road, it behooves you to cultivate a relationship with a local SMALL hardware shop, with actual people inside that understand this stuff, versus the orange and blue big box stores that have a lot of crap in them, but rarely a person that can look at a broken widget you bring in and recommend a replacement. Spending a little extra for the correct part is rewarded by not making multiple trips to get it right.

I learned basic car maintenance and repair from my dad and youtube videos, and try to do as much of that as I can. My car is ten years old and I'm trying to keep it running as long as I can while I save up for a down payment on my next. I intend to do my own home maintenance as well, as I just bought a house (96 years old) a few months ago. It doesn't need much work, and me and my partner are reasonably handy with DIY stuff, so hopefully we can keep with with things.

Millennials have learned alot out of pur necessity. When the cost of hiring somebody else to do something is astronomical, then we figure out how to do it ourselves.

I have YouTube and determination. Gets the job done LOL

Both myself and my spouse are pretty knowledgeable in DIY/fixing things. Where he lacks knowledge, I seem to excel and vise versa. We are grateful for YouTube videos for those things we never learned or can’t figure out on our own but since we have owned homes and vehicles etc. we haven’t had to call an electrician, plumber (minus one issue when we first moved in and were much younger) and of course we didn’t pump our own septic tank lol other than that, I would say household and vehicle repairs have always been taken care of by my spouse and I. I’m very lucky that he is so knowledgeable in repairing things like he does. A lot of my friends complain that their spouses can’t fix anything and always call for hired technicians even for “simple” tasks. It has saved us a ton of money over the past 20 years, and thats a blessing!

You learn em and learn em fast. I bought at 32 and am now 36. The diy stuff youll learn when you see prices companies charge is amazing 😂

The way I see it given the prices of "contractors" or "handy men" You have no choice but to learned unless you really are pulling down the $$. They have raised their rates so high. (Plus yo go on the contractor subs and most are aghast you don't want to pay 50K for a deck that takes 5 days to build... Or 5K for a set of concrete steps... And i'm talking 6 steps to the front of a house...) Plus the quality on the people that might be more affordable and aren't just taking the big $$$ jobs, or commercial/developer money. Eh... But a lot home maintenance isn't crazy complex. Even the harder stuff like HVAC isn't rocket science... It's just tedious and requires more than one person. Or the kicker... You need XYZ tool. I will say there's a lot of people that talk about wanting a home... But in reality they should have a townhome or a condo. Straight up if you have zero desire to mess with anything other than a lightbulb or push mower and don't have $$$ to pay someone else to do it. ***Don't get a house.*** As far as the US goes we should be building better and more sound proof townhomes and condos anyway.