Guys, are you a handyman? Ladies, do you want your guy to be a handyman around the home?

Question

Well, almost anyone can change a light bulb but there are many other things around a house which either require some expertise or are done much better if you have some experience. However, calling a repairman isn't always practical or affordable.

I have dated some very intelligent women, and some of them were quite independent, but if the faucet was dripping, they didn't know anything about faucets and they expected me to take care of it. I also learned that social theory and political positions about feminism aren't very important when there isn't any hot water on Sunday night: I'm the guy and I should know what to do to fix the problem! This may be the 21st Century, but home maintenance and repair is still mostly the province of men.

Guys, how many of these things do you feel confident doing around the house? If you can’t do all of them, are you motivated to learn how to do the others?

Ladies, how many of these things do you think a guy should be able to do around the house?

1. Replace a light fixture
2. Hang a ceiling fan
3. Replace a wall mounted light switch or electrical receptacle
4. Repair a dripping faucet
5. Replace an old faucet
6. Unstop a clogged drain
7. Painting a room in a professional manner
8. Hang a heavy picture or oversized mirror
9. Replace a broken belt in a clothes dryer
10. Change the oil in the car
11. Patch a 2” or larger hole in the wall
12. Install an over-the-range microwave oven
13. Replace a heater element in a water heater
14. Replace a lock set on an exterior door
15. Repair a toilet that won’t stop running
16. Replace fire/smoke alarms
17. Install shelving in a closet
18. Replace an electric garage door opener
19. Perform an annual cleaning of a central air conditioning unit
20. Replace a blade on a lawn mower

just_tired · Accepted Answer

1. Replace a light fixture, Yes
2. Hang a ceiling fan, Yes
3. Replace a wall mounted light switch or electrical receptacle, Yes
4. Repair a dripping faucet, with some googling probably Yes
5. Replace an old faucet, maybe.. let's say No for now
6. Unstop a clogged drain, Yes
7. Painting a room in a professional manner, Yes
8. Hang a heavy picture or oversized mirror, yes
9. Replace a broken belt in a clothes dryer, Not sure
10. Change the oil in the car, Yes
11. Patch a 2” or larger hole in the wall, Yes
12. Install an over-the-range microwave oven, don't know what that is..
13. Replace a heater element in a water heater, probably Yes with the help from instruction/google
14. Replace a lock set on an exterior door, maybe, but I'd leave that to a locksmith
15. Repair a toilet that won’t stop running, Not sure
16. Replace fire/smoke alarms, Yes
17. Install shelving in a closet, Yes
18. Replace an electric garage door opener, Probably Yes
19. Perform an annual cleaning of a central air conditioning unit, Not sure
20. Replace a blade on a lawn mower, Yes

14/20 for sure, the rest maybe or no..
I did wood and metalshop throughout elementary and secondary school so I know all the basics.

red324 · Accepted Answer

This is funny. I was thinking about this the other day when the ice maker quit working. I thought to myself how expensive it would be to have someone come out 2-3 times a month to fix little issues that arise. All that was wrong was the ice got stuck together in a big blob and was pushing the arm up too far making it think it was full of ice.

PunkinPie · Accepted Answer

The difficulty for me is I'm not physically strong enough. I bought the new blade and spark plug for my mower and the tools to change them but can't get enough torque on the damn wrenches. I had to call my ex in for help.

Totally humiliating but the blade was so dull my lawn looked like shag carpet. I had no way to take the thing to a repair shop. What's a woman to do?

There are another dozen projects around the house that need to get done. I'm holding off asking for help because I don't want to call my ex, but I know I'm going to have to eventually or pay someone.
Since my son lives here I figure his dad can help provide a decent home. If it was just me I would probably have to sell the mower and pay someone to mow every week.

samhradh_leannan · Accepted Answer

Any adult should be able to replace a lightbulb. So I definitely expect a guy to be able to do that. If he can't replace a lightbulb then I'll definitely be worried lol.

But I don't have expectations about any of the other tasks you've listed. A lot of them depend on what appliances you have and what your responsibilities are as a home owner/renter. I think these things can be learned (by him and/or me) as they become necessary. I definitely don't expect my boyfriend to know how to fix a lawnmower when neither of us ever owned a lawnmower.

Onlythisone · Accepted Answer

Yeah all of these are really simple... I mean, I can't see myself ending up with someone that is worse at fixing things than me... But that might just be because I like the idea of masculinity and can't see a man as masculine if he can't change a lightbulb. I don't want to be the man in the relationship but I'm a maintenance tech so I set the bar too far up in that regard I get that. But it's just so simple that it would mean they didn't even want to make the effort to try to be manly... Nope couldn't do it.

MORPHEUS_12 · Accepted Answer

I have been married for almost 20 years. There have been times when I wished that my husband was more mechanically inclined. This may sound like an excuse but my husband's Father was a total jackass Father. He never instilled in him things that Father's do with their sons. I have been the electrician, plumber and handyman all rolled into one. I don't know everything but with YouTube any repair is possible.

JimRSmith · Answer

Over here, you need to be a qualified electrician these days to avoid invalidating your home insurance. Same for plumbing matters, relating to gas etc. If you fix these things yourself, even if you know what you're doing, and there's a problem, later on, you're on your own.

Having got that part out of the way, I can tick off nine on that list, which I don't think is too bad for a guy who isn't qualified.

I also enjoy watching and learning from my sparks and plumbers, so that I can at least *diagnose* what the issues are. For instance, the guy in your photo is about the change either the element or the stat on a hot water boiler.

I honestly see this kind of stuff as a basic life skill, and I'm astonished at how many of my fellow graduates not only don't know how to do these jobs, but don't have the first clue how or where to start.

The only two on the list that I wouldn't try would be 9 and 19 (air conditioning being a bit of a rarity over here, so I've never watched anybody do that).

The others, despite not being qualified, I at least have a good idea how to do.

AlexEfron · Answer

Things I have done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6(never liked doing so), 8(needed help in hanging it - yeah I'm weak), 9, 10(I don't own a car, instead I have a bike and I have replaced the oils), 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20(even though I don't own any lawn mower... But I have)

And the rest:
7 - haven't done. I don't think I can. I'd leave it to the professionals. I'm sloppy when it comes to painting anything
13 - haven't done it and don't know how to, but I'd love to learn cause someday I might need to help myself
16 - don't have any smoke alarms installed in my house. I do know the mechanism of fire alarms with the bimetallic strips, so I can fix them if they're working on those things; anything else - I can't
18 - nope. Electric garage doors aren't quite common where I live. So I don't know their internal mechanism... But I wouldn't mind learning.

Apart from these I do have fixed computers hardware issues, stereo hardware problems, refrigerator not cooling, washing machine leaking water, electric bells not working, etc

And I'm no mechanic or something. Just an ordinary student - curious to know how things work 😋

It's good to know how things work around you. It's really idiotic if you are using something everyday and don't even know how it works. If you know how it works you can easily fix and repair them if needed.

NearlyNapping · Answer

I can do all of those things. I've actually done all of them except 8 and 12.

Personally I think the ability to do those things should be a requirement for high school graduation for both men and women. That doesn't mean actually doing them all, but people should have enough experience so they have the confidence to tackle them. Too many people know advanced calculus and botany, but don't know which way to turn a screw driver.

If I'm going to fix something for my lady, she's going to learn to do it herself - or at least try. She needs to roll up her sleeves or the deal's off. Once I know she's willing and able to do it, I'll do it for her every time.

CubsterShura · Answer

I want to learn all these but no one teaches me. Not even because of gender roles, that is. Because no one teaches me cooking either and even when I want to they refuse. The only thing I know is seeing buttons and hooks but that's because I just observed mom doing it and kinda learned doing it myself.

My dad did promise me to teach me driving... I'll ask him to teach me other important stuff as well, like dealing with a flat tire.

I have nothing to do if I want to learn but no one teaches me. Dad can do almost everything.

hellionthesagereborn · Answer

I know several of those and wish I knew how to do more but unfortunately that information was never passed down to me. I think that's a big issue currently, that we are so use to paying some one else to do it we have forgotten how to do it ourselves which in turn means that the next generation never gets the opportunity to learn how to do it.

Anonymous · Answer

I do most of the things around the house... I do think they are jobs for men... but it is easier if I just do it myself... the reality is you can learn how to do any of these on youtube.
If you are with a girl and something needs to be done then trying isn't all bad... ask for someone to come help you and learn how to do it yourself for next time.
There are a lot of feminist who want equality--- but they still think of these types of jobs as jobs for then men... I mean I get it I think they are a mans job as well.. I just know it will get done on my time frame if I do it myself.

lord_chilled · Answer

Sad to say, i can only do around 3-4 properly. So o voted b, i have attempted around 10-12 with mediocre success.. Some werr outright failures and i made the situation worse.
No one ever taught me these things and my mom actively told me not to try since i could hurt myself. Made me try it out in secret, making it worse.

I like to be and am inclined to be a handyman but i dont have the knowledge.

In some circles im known as the guy you can call to have a 50/50 chance of fixing something but also a chance at totaling it.

Free of charge tough.

In some circles, with friends from cities and such they tend to know less than me.
But eith my friends from towns , etc they know a ton more than me.

tetrismaster · Answer

I’m already pretty handy because my mom owned an apartment complex when I was younger and I would always have to work there and change doorknobs, paint, change flooring, shampoo the carpet, clean, etc. I swear I installed like twenty ceiling fans and I must have fixed like ten air conditioners. I don’t need a guy to be handy because I already am.

Zelea · Answer

Hmm not gonna lie, I do find a man who can fix things very sexy 😍

If not I/we can Google our way to a semi somewhat expert level knowledge, if the risk isn't too bad.

I wouldn't expect him to know how to do handiwork but it would be great if he did.

Jaye234 · Answer

My husband can fix and work on just about anything.
When we were dating I brought him a pair of clippers for him to fix, he just looked at me and told me he can't fix them. I was shocked. When I was young I thought men could fix anything just like my dad. My dad can fix literally anything that's broken from clippers to a toaster to an engine.
So now if my husband can't fix it I take it to my dad.

God_of_Thunder · Answer

I have done every one of those things, at least once, and could do them again.

I grew up, believing that I should know how to do those things, so I learned. I can't remember the last time I ever called a repairman, if ever. It's just not something I do.

When something breaks, my first instinct has always been to grab my tools, and take care of it.

ThePragmaticRomantic · Answer

15. No idea about the remainder. Never seen an AC Unit for instance, but I imagine it can't be hard to figure out.
I'm better with woodwork really though. Carving and crafting used to be a bit of a passion. Made a coupel of beds, a seige engine etc.

ladsin · Answer

I'm a fella and could do 16-17 I don't think I'm all that handy, but I've worked some construction, landscaping, and irrigation. So I know a few things including low-volt wiring. I wouldn't fuck with my expensive stuff like an AC unit though.

yucychan · Answer

Tbh, that is not really one of the priorities I look for in a man, to be handy. There are other things more vital than that. There is probably one thing I need him to do because I can't do it myself. That is taking out bugs and other creepy crawlies.

hahahmm · Answer

Smart women know how to pretend they can’t fix the faucet because 1.) guys like feeling useful in that area, 2.) it’s not fun so why do it if someone else will?

I think it’s similar to how I can wash clothes in my sleep but SO prefers to do them so who am I to argue.

Yeah there are also men & women who can’t do anything.

Ram0n83 · Answer

Owning my own house was one of the best things ever for me. I knew how to do some things (i. e. unstop a clogged drain), but when you have to make it work and you don't have money for a professional repairman, you learn really fast.

Like a lot of things, the first time you do it is the hardest. After that it gets considerably easier.

characterJoe · Answer

This stuff is not "rocket science." I worked for university housing maintenance and gained my knowledge on these "home maintenance" tasks. The "ball and cock" of a toilet bowl some guys would crack jokes. We would use screen mesh for small holes and bigger holes required backing and a drywall piece cut to fill the hole.

Oded_Obliterate · Answer

Everything listed I can do except for 5,9,12,13,19. However I feel that with little effort if faced with it, I can easily figure it out and get it done.

slatyb · Answer

I've never changed oil, that's more trouble than it's worth. I've changed brakes. And I can change the blade on a running lawnmower.

Anonymous · Answer

My boyfriend and I are both pretty clueless but it doesn't matter because we have this marvelous resource known as the internet where we can look up how to do any of those things and work it out together. There's YouTube tutorials for almost everything

Guys, are you a handyman? Ladies, do you want your guy to be a handyman around the home?

Most Helpful Opinions

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said