Everyday Skills You Should Know To Owning Your Own Home

Congratulations! You've moved out of your parent's home, dorm room or apartment and have your own home! Picture this: It's 5:30 am, you go downstairs to get a drink of water, and your faucet won't turn off. The landlord is not on call 24/7 and you have no idea how to stop it. Talk about a nightmare. Here are some skills every homeowner should have when it comes to these sorts of problems:

1. Fix a Leaky Faucet

This particular type of water torture is likely due to a failed washer inside a handle. The faucet is just the messenger.

To replace the washer, turn off the water supply valve under the sink. Stuff a rag in the drain so you don't lose parts, then take the handle apart. Pop the screw cover on top, remove the screw, and pull off the handle. Use a wrench to disassemble the stem, and line the parts up on the counter in the order they came off, so you know how it goes back together. Examine rubber parts or plastic cartridges for cracks, and take the offending piece to the hardware store for an exact replacement. Reassemble the parts you've laid out, in reverse. Then revel in the ensuing peace and quiet.

For more detailed diagrams, check out Fixing a Leaky Faucet

2. Move a Refrigerator by Yourself

Clarence Yuzik, aka The Fridge Doctor, has two words for you: Magic Sliders. Put these little plastic disks under the fridge's front feet (you can lever them off the floor with a long pry bar), then pull. Most refrigerators have wheels in the back, so the whole unit should glide forward effortlessly.

3. Dig a Hole

A stomp on a pointed shovel, that's easy—and so's electrocuting yourself when you slice into a buried power line. Which is why, says This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook, any prospective hole-maker should first call 811 to notify the local utilites in your area. They'll send someone out to your place, mark any lines you have, and save you from getting buried yourself.

Courtesy of This Old House