1. Fixing it yourself means not paying to have it fixed for you.

2. Safety, as an important part of your regular maintenance schedule, protects both your home and your family.

3. Your friends and family will be impressed with your new skills (they may even let you borrow their tools!),

4. There's nothing like the feeling of satisfaction when you realize that-because of your efforts-your leaky faucet isn't leaking any more.

5. Maintaining a safe and efficient home protects your most valuable investment.

6. You'll soon be exchanging helpful hints with the Friendly people you'll meet at your local home improvement store.

7. Fixing small problems yourself helps to prevent them from becoming large problems that will require expert-and expensive-solutions.

8. Knowing the ins and outs of home repair will help you recognize when you need professional help and how much it should cost.

9. Easy fix-it tasks such as weatherproofing and insulating can make a big difference to your energy consumption,

10. Having good fix-it skills will help you overcome the anxiety of home ownership.