Where to get Awnings ??

age 44 - I attempt as much of the fixit stuff as I can - i enjoy it - but my reach exceeds my grasp, ie. i have to hire people for tiling , plumbing and electric etc..
I hate video games , grew up on legos and other hands on toys ..
I observe my housemates downstairs - nice 20 somethings- play Wii and other immersive video games and much more into TV etc.. no visible fixup skills besides painting..
I think our culture is changing pretty quickly . For example all the parties we ever threw we would never have had a tv on - now i see people play guitar hero vid game (not a real guitar) etc..dont want to over generalize about generation differences but maybe that contributes something to your discussion?

Posted by: steveg at February 29, 2008 4:36 PM in response to Age/DIY survey

4:23 has it down, I think. It's not age, it's family. Today everyone in NY is in law, finance, media, and so on. And so were their parents. Unlike say, Houston. They never got a chance to hang out with the old man who was a machinist or a mechanic. All that stuff went to China. So anyone who wants to do their own work has to start from the beginning, and that can be daunting.

Posted by: denton at February 29, 2008 4:54 PM in response to Age/DIY survey

I agree it is often (not always)the family you grow up in. My parents were do-it-yourselfers - so I tend to be (49, female.) Helped them with stuff around the house growing up. Once I bought my place, I bought a few home repair books and follow along on how to do stuff I haven't done before. I google home repair info, too.

More kids now tend to grow up more upper middle class (my nieces and nephews) than many of us (my older siblings & me) did in the baby-boom, post-war years. Most people had a lot less money then, and a lot more time. And were closer to do-it-yourselfers growing up themselves (my parents were both born on farms and came of age in cities during the depression.)

Also, I notice that many who grow up in Manhattan apartments with supers never learn to do anything themselves growing up - if you grow up with staff around, you are used to hiring out.

Posted by: guest at February 29, 2008 5:19 PM in response to Age/DIY survey

30 - In prior homes, have done what I can myself (laying hardwood, grouting tile, etc..) but I don't usually have the time or teacher to learn how to do anything more advanced. I would love to learn though.

Posted by: MrsLimestone at February 29, 2008 6:01 PM in response to Age/DIY survey

I'm 63, bought my house at age 29, and used to do most work myself--still do most small jobs where IMO it's easier than bothering to hire someone, wait for them to show up, etc.

FWIW my father was not a DIY type, but I has an uncle who was and I learned a lot from him--however a good home repair book goes a long way and Google is often even better. I'm amazed at the small jobs for which people sometimes post questions here, looking to hire someone--easy things like hanging light fixtures.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at February 29, 2008 6:08 PM in response to Age/DIY survey

I helped some Indian guys move into an apartment once. They didn't even know how to put a dust ruffle on a bed (they placed one over the mattress). They had never painted anything in their life and helped me out with a project for free becuase it looked like something that might be fun to do and their parents had never let them. One also wasn't aware that you must periodically wash your sheets, less so the dust ruffle, contingent upon placement.

Posted by: guest at February 29, 2008 6:12 PM in response to Age/DIY survey

6:12, don't you know you are never allowed to mention ethnicity on stoner? You are about to get labeled with the 'R' word.

Posted by: denton at February 29, 2008 6:50 PM in response to Age/DIY survey

31, make plenty of money, do most things myself, unless my LL does. Grew up in a series of construction projects, so I learned by watching.

I'll do most things myself the first time for the experience. If the experience is unpleasant, I'll let someone else do it the next time.

Posted by: guest at February 29, 2008 6:59 PM in response to Age/DIY survey

I do everything myself. I think this division of labor nonsense is crap. I'd like to discuss this further, but it's time to put the cow in the barn and check how the slaughtered pigs in the smoke house are coming along.

Posted by: guest at February 29, 2008 7:09 PM in response to Age/DIY survey

28, was 27 when we bought our place and have done as much as possible ourselves, mainly since the budget wasn't there to do it any other way: demolition, framing, sheetrock, plastering, tiling, handyman-ing, laying down salvaged flooring, sanding, sealing, painting, grouting, gardening. We have gotten help from plumbers and electricians as needed.

Posted by: guest at February 29, 2008 7:18 PM in response to Age/DIY survey

36 - female. Do most stuff myself.

Grew up with parents who were very handy, incredibly hard working, took the time to do it right, had pride in the work and were very smart about where and when to spend the money. No video games. Had to borrow Donkey Kong from my friend.

Nature vs nuture....

Posted by: guest at February 29, 2008 9:46 PM in response to Age/DIY survey