Would you marry for DIY skills? ?

Its ok as long as they are physically able to do the work they enjoy ! My OH was 68 when I met him ...up on the roof adjusting the tv aerial ....finished off the building on the villa he had in Menorca as the builders were too slow ! tiled the pool surround, tiled the driveway, dug the garden .....bought a boat when he got finished with the house ...then spent all day going down to bail it out and painting it ....then we moved to France ...did up the big old renovation project in Brittany ....finished that and was bored (by then he was around 75) so we bought a shell of a bungalow an he finished it ...doing all the carpentry, wardrobes, cupboards etc etc ..building pergolas and sheds in the garden, paving the surround round the house painting, decorating, etc etc ...NOW he has Parkinsons and is 84 and is refusing to give up anything ...doctor has said No ladders, no power tools, you can do a little gardening (which he takes as permission to climb and trim large trees and hedges, dig flower beds, tile pavement s...all the while (last week for instance he fell over 7 times .lost his balance, tried to use the strimmer and fell over again ..hurt his back so actually stopped for 10 minutes .....I am totally desperate for him to stop ! I have taken over mowing the lawn (he says I am not doing it right) and whatever other jobs I can stop him from doing ! This morning he was on a ladder taking down the clock on the shed to put in a new battery so I grabbed it put in the battery, put it back ...what do I get ? Why do you take everything off me, I could have done that ........I have explained to his daughter that I am trying to stop him killing himself, but he seems hell bent .....so please try and get your other halves to slow down ! it is not good for either of you !!

My daughter and I have just done Ikea wardrobes too. It wears somewhat thin, year in, year out.
So yes, diy skills would tempt me into marriage. Unless the man was rich enough to be able to always buy ready assembled. The absolute lap of luxury!

During my marriage, I was the one who possessed an electric drill which I still have but don't use it very often now. Just before I produced my second son, a set of shelves which XH and his brother had put up, fell down on my nose - hence my ownership of the drill! I've always been good at putting up shelves and have made a reasonable job of flat-pack furniture. GD2 (14) must take after me as she has put together a set of Ikea furniture for her bedroom.

When we came back from our honeymoon....fifty odd years ago...we were greeted by my new MIL saying....Oh good. I've been waiting for someone to help me stick these ceiling tiles up.

Then I realised she was talking to me, not him, and the pattern for our lives was set.

Funnily enough, it's something I joke about. I often say that in my next life, I'll marry someone who has excellent diy skills. My DGS's talk about all their other dgf's tools. They have noticed that my DH has so few!

Its not just a matter of having the know how to do things. Its being able to lift and move worktops, etc. Its no mean feat. Just can't manage that kind of lifting these days, and I defy any woman to say she can.

'Can you manage without me?' is a useful phrase too!

& read instructions whilst he put it together. that sounds familiar too, why do they never read the instructions first?

Legs55 it was (is) love too! However, he is not so keen on decorating unfortunately.

I married for love, if you have ever married your sole mate it's the best life can be. I realise it doesn't come long twice and I couldn't settle for less. I have friends married and quite happily so, but say they were never really in love but had similiar life plans, so it works for lots of people.

jalima and mauri re being the helper, the words "You can go now" are music to my ears.

Plenty, sarahelen - plenty. Just like many others - work, socialising, holidays, sport, being retired, family, grandparenting, special interest groups. That's a funny question!


I guess DIY around the house is a bit like "Housekeeping Plus" any house needs ongoing maintenance.

My DH was good at decorating, he could hang wallpaper (occasionally with the pattern upside down). Wouldn't touch plumbing or electrics but we knew "a man who can". Cleaning bathroom & kitchen were his jobs although he'd miss the little things like light switches (grubby finger marks) & dust on panels on doors

Mowing the lawn & helping me with heavy work in the garden those were always his jobs, I darn't let him do the weeding as he'd dig my plants up

Washing machine (& dishwasher when we had one) were a mystery to him. Flat pack furniture was a joint task, I checked everything was there & read instructions whilst he put it together.

I miss him very much, he died over 4 years ago, luckily I have a DiL who is very practical, I do my best but as I have Periheral Neuropathy & problems with my balance there's lots of DIY I can't do anymore.

I didn't marry for money or DIY skills but for love, any other skills were a bonus

Mauriherb
as someone said to me once 'why have a dog and bark yourself'?

He loves DIY and I don't but help out if required. I am the 'builder's mate'.

Come on ladies this is the 21st century! Men often do the traditionally female jobs like cooking cleaning and childminding, so why are women not taking on the DIY ? I've lived on my own for many years and although I can't hang wallpaper I can certainly put up a shelf or curtain rail

So Grannyknot what does your life consist of outside of DIY.? That is if there is any outside left.

I wish. My DH has no DIY skills whatsoever, and those he imagines he has I quickly put a lid on! He is a good decorator - as long as you don't ask him to hang wallpaper - basic gardener, gets the hoover out and cleans the kitchen. If I had the choice would I marry him again? In a heartbeat!

My DH is very good at DIY, he's very fussy so does a good job and tidies up after himself. He doesn't do plumbing except simple stuff, he says that water can do too much damage, fair enough. Our SIL is not that way inclined our DD does what she can which is a lot and her Dad does the rest.

Oh yes!!
The first time I met DH was when he came to DB and SisIL's house to do a DIY job my brother was having difficulty with.
I thought 'that's the man for me'

My DIY husband believes that "... I haven't completed the job until everything is cleaned up and put away". .

I'm going to be very nice to him today!

I'm green with envy, GREEN, I TELL YOU! If I want anything doing I have to do it myself (my husband is disabled and can hardly
even scratch his nose). Otherwise I have to get someone in and I don't know why but I always seem to end up with a bodger or con-artist.

My DH is good at DIY but messy - just like his father was - but it's certainly very useful.

Not solely for DIY skills, but they are a very useful add-on to someone who has all the other requirements (GSOH, lovely nature, good looks, pleasant family, a "good provider" etc etc etc)

I miss mine for all those qualities, the DIY because after he died I had no little list of tradesmen to call on when things needed done, the rest just because.

all you ladies with DIYers, when they have finished in your houses, can I borrow them PLEASE, my DH is lovely but the only diy he did was a cupboard around an electricity meter fifty odd years ago, I remember having to stand nonchalantly holding
it up while the meter reader struggled to open the door

I married a man who unbeknown to me at the time could turn his hand to any repairs or alterations indoors or out
To the extent of being too over the top and that is when I learned to keep out of his way when these jobs were in progress. So no I would not, unless he was so melting my knees attractive and irresistibly charming, marry a man with DIY skills.

Mine has been very good at DIY all our married lives - improved our lives and saved a fortune. Unfortunately he's now decided he's getting too old - and never enjoyed it anyway. So now we have to although we can't afford it get a man in and then moan about the results, until we redo it!!