"When it comes to Do-It-Yourself projects women can do anything a man can do." This is my mantra. I believe it, I live it, and so can you!
No, I do not want to hear the objections, the excuses, or the snickers from any men reading this. Because we might not be as strong as men we rely on brain matter over brawn to get the job done. And in circumstances that require strength, we can easily borrow some guy's muscle power to do the heaving lifting.
How I got started
I grew up helping my Dad renovate our house, repair the outbuildings, and work in our huge garden. I learned all about tools and how to make something out of nothing from him. Dad came from generations of farmers who had to be self reliant, and it bred through to him and to me.
I remodeled my first home over 35 years ago and I haven't stopped since. I have done apartments, houses to live in and houses to sell for profit, or to keep as a rental property. And I am not talking about a little paint and cleaning. I can do demo down to the studs and floor joists and work my way back to a finished room. This includes dry wall installation and finish, plumbing including sweating copper pipes, formica installation, ceramic tile, wood and vinyl flooring installation, rough and finish carpentry, some electrical, and just about any home improvement short of building an entire house or house addition. I did however design and build a 16' x 16' storage barn with loft from scratch with help from my family and friends.
Real Estate Investing for Women Twenty three years ago I bought my first investment property. Leave it to me to take on a doozy for my first investment project. The house, a three story in Canton needed a complete bathroom and kitchen redo, along with just about everything else. I became the demo queen, a drywaller supreme, and a master of creative solutions on a strict budget. Adding the skills learned on that job to what I already knew, was a real rush. I was fearless, I took on challenge after challenge knowing that I had the ability to turn them into safe, solid, attractive homes. Many properties later, I have slowed down, but still love getting into the occasional challenging project.
Check out my blog to read about some of my experiences. If you have a question about a project, email me, I will either give my suggestions or give you a link to a site that will show you how. Mary@MaryMcCombs.com
