If you have the time — and the inclination — to do some repairs yourself, the following skills can save you a lot of money!  Some of these are quite easy, while others are more involved.   None are overly difficult.

Indoor work:

• painting and staining (neatness counts!)
• drywall repair
• clean, repair, and replace grout and caulk
• hang, shorten, and repair blinds
• clean out dryer vents
• change air filters
• change toilet seats
• replace locks

Basic plumbing:

• install and repair a faucet
• repair or change out a garbage disposal
• fix a running/leaking toilet

Electrical work:

• change light fixtures
• replace a doorbell

Outdoor skills, such as:

• fix a sprinkler system
• work a power washer
• trim bushes and trees
• weed and feed the lawn
• install fencing

I can’t over-emphasize how helpful the internet is!  It’s amazing what you can look up online.

Even if you’ve mastered this list — or more! — I still recommend having repairmen available.  For starters, something could go wrong during your repair.  Also, you could find yourself too busy to do the repair, or even gone on vacation, when something must be done.   Further, you might find yourself with too much to do in too little time.