The next person to tell me that “It’s easy, you should be able to do that” in regards to my home renovations might end up with a black eye and a bloody nose.
Our house renovations are not going well. We are approaching our second Christmas where we are still not able to live on the ground floor of our house and I don’t know when we will finally be able to move down there.
I have been told a few times now that what I am doing is easy and that I should be able to do the sheeting, or put put up the deck, or pour the slab for the shed, etc. Just because renovations are easy for someone else doesn’t mean it’s easy for everyone. I don’t tell my friends that to build a web-site or fix a computer is easy and that they should be able to do that themselves, so why is that such common advise when it comes to renovations or home improvements?
This post isn’t directed particularly at any of my well-meaning friends, it’s more like a warning to the friends and family of not-so-handy renovators. If it’s easy, then help out your mate and do it for them or with them. Otherwise just shut-up, because what’s easy for some can be pretty bloody hard for others.
4 responses so far ↓
Jennifer // Dec 12, 2007 at 9:20 pm
Amen!
Gary // Dec 13, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Put it in perspective. After doing something a couple of time it is easy. The hard part is getting it done the first time when you don’t know what you are doing. Easy is probably not a good word. Simple would be better. Hanging drywall isn’t easy but requires limited skill.
Bill Hutchison // Dec 13, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Thanks for the comments.
The problem is doing it that first time and finding someone to show you how. Sure it could be simple, but if there is no one willing to show you how simple it is, it can seem extremely daunting to a first timer.
Tamara - The Renovator's Wife // Dec 27, 2007 at 6:36 am
Give me a list of those “it’s easy” people and I wil hunt them down for you. You do catch on pretty quickly when shown that first time. Maybe you should challenge them and when you are next told it’s “easy” ask them to show you how and if they say “they don’t have the time” ask them how they had the time to stop and chat with you in the first place to tell you how “easy” it is.
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