Banty wrote:

It strikes me that if you:

1. Have a lot of time
2. Have the skills
3. Either enjoy it (lots of people do, bless them) or have no competing spare
time interests

or alternatively:

a. Just plain cheap beyond all reason and at any non-monetary cost

..what he says makes sense (except the thing about seemingly objecting to
contractors making a living....)

But I

1. Don't have a lot of time
2. Dont' have many skills (great painting skills) and don't particularly care
for every project being a learning experience and my house being my guinea pig
3. Sure have a long list of stuff I love to do in my spare time otherwise

and

a. Am not stupid-cheap.

So I have in the 11 years I've lived in this house built up a good list of good
skilled folks. And a pretty good knack for discerning who's good and who's not
and getting good value.

Well said.

R