There’s something major to keep in mind here: you don’t really buy your dream home; instead, you build it. Well, not literally build it (unless you’re rich), but figuratively speaking at least. But really, here, there’s something kind of ridiculous about how many women are expected to run a home, manage a home, decorate a home, clean a home, organize a home, make the home feel like an actual place people want to live, and yet somehow, the maintenance side still gets treated like this mysterious “man job” category.
Yes, even nowadays, even with all the women content creators creating gorgeous homes with power tools, there’s still this really weird “male aura” or whatever that shouldn’t be there. Like, okay, women can figure out childcare schedules, insurance forms, grocery budgets, work deadlines, school emails, holiday plans, and 900 tiny household decisions on a daily basis, but a light fixture? A switch plate? A clogged sink? Somehow, it’s supposed to feel intimidating? Yeah, no.
And to be clear, this doesn’t mean every woman needs to become a full contractor with a truck full of tools (unless you want to, of course), but as a homeowner, or even a renter (well, to a degree here), you should feel like it’s okay and not intimidating to learn a few household things. And honestly, this can be pretty empowering too.
Home Maintenance has Been Gendered for Way Too Long
A lot of girls grow up learning how to clean, cook, decorate, organize, and make things look nice. Are they useful skills? Well, yeah, sure, that’s a given. But boys are often more likely to be handed tools, shown how to fix something, or told to help with “real” repairs around the house.
Even nowadays, you won’t see that many toys for kids where power tools and kitchens that are gender neutral, so this is still pushed nowadays onto the next generation! Sure, it’s great to know basic things like turning the breaker off and on, and switching light bulbs, or even assembling IKEA furniture, but it should still go above these things, though.
Confidence Comes from Learning
It helps knowing that there are so many tutorials online, be it on blogs that are home maintenance related, there are plenty of video tutorials on YouTube, and some shorter ones on TikTok and Reels (though those aren’t in-depth, so you might be asking more questions). But it’s so easy to buy tools, like the exact ones you need. It’s so easy to Google the problem you have and what the solution is. So over time, the more you do and the better the outcomes, the more confidence you’ll get.
But really, just start with something really small, like changing light fixtures or putting a new tap for the kitchen sink, and then gradually get a bit bigger. Like it doesn’t need to be contractor-level because some things still should be left to professionals. Like if you’re dealing with plumbing issues, depending on the severity, you should obviously call Bluefrog Plumbing, rather than thinking a few tools and a YouTube tutorial can help. Just know the difference between what you can do and what you should do.
Overall, Just Knowing Your Home Makes You Less Dependent
The whole point isn’t to prove anything to anyone. It’s not about becoming the kind of person who owns every tool in the hardware store. Sure, have at it if you want. But you really shouldn’t feel helpless or intimidated in your own space.
You don’t need to always rely on others. Because yeah, being able to fix small things saves money, but it also saves time, stress, and that irritating feeling of waiting around for someone else to deal with something simple.
Top photo by http://www.kaboompics.com via Pexels.