I have always been (since I was 15 years old) a self-made carpenter. I've done so much house remodeling, rebuilding, fixing, repairing from foundation to the smoke coming out of the chimney it's awful. Never paid for my work, always volunteer or something for myself. I've always enjoyed being the wood-worker, hobbiest, helping other with remodeling projects, and I'm very good at it. I dreamed of having my own wood working shop where I could just tinker away with my hearts content doing all kinds of craft wood items, maybe as a great retirement hobby.
A few years ago the "love and joy" of the "hobby" turned completely sour and I burned out and have never recovered the joy. It was a decisive moment when it happened, and I'll never forget it.
We owned a house and tried to sell it when the city zoning board said we had to move the camper. We moved alright, into a house that needed some tender loving care, and the remodel started. It was great! I enjoyed it once again. Until ...the Land Contract on the other house went belly up! Legal ramification, and it's just not very easy getting someone out of your house. When they did finally get out (which took months, and exhausted our fiances), the house was 100% completely destroyed! Actually, it was beyond destroyed.
Somehow the money came in, little by little. We were insured for everything on that house except "renters vandelism". Which is exactly what happened when they were thrown out.
We'd been carrying two mortgages and now we had 2 houses. One was a wreck and the other was under a major remodel, and I worked full time, sometimes as much as 56 hours a week.
My wife and I did almost 100% of the re-work in the old house. I only had to hire a contractor and company for specific items I absolutely could not do myself (like remove and rebuild some of the outside), remove gigantic windows, and replace ... yea ... really ... doors that had been taken!
The rest we did our selves. 6 bedroom house, completely repainted, completely gutted 2 bathrooms, tossed out even the bath tubs, I mean everything in the house went. I had to patch holes in the wall big enough to drive a car through, an plumbing, toilets, flooring, I mean everything.
At the same time the house we were living in was being neglected and we were sleeping in nothing but saw dust at one house or the other.
With enough time, both houses got fixed. The old house was fabulous when finished! And I'm not just bragging, I'm BRAGGING! We got it on the market and it sold 3 days later! REALLY!
I was able to then get a handle on the new house, get it done and finally get everything under control. Exhausted and burned out, I didn't want to do any more remodeling every again. Then IT happened!
Water came in the house, which resulted in the big family room needing to be 100% gutted from floor to ceiling. Flood insurance paid a whopping amount! It truly was incredible and I did the work! End result was absolutely wonderful! I'm really not bragging again .. OH Heck! Yes I am!
But when the living room got done, and the curtains were finally hung, it hit me! I hated remodeling! It was no longer fun! I truly lost the joy of doing it!
So, when we had a small water problem with the sink (very simple fix), just a couple weeks ago ... yea! I called a plumber!