“Uh oh.” That’s what I texted to my wife after I dropped the glass soap dispenser into the bowl of our powder room sink. I was just finished wiping the granite countertop off when the soap dispenser slipped out of my hand and smashed the porcelain bowl.
Unlike most of my family, I don’t recall anyone ever calling me handy around the house. I always think the best tool for the job is likely my iPhone. I quickly went on Amazon and ordered a new sink ($179 from Kohler) and called a few people that I thought could install it.
Unfortunately, customer service in the home handyman world is a bit lacking. The couple guys that called me back were pretty booked up. A plumbing company offered to send someone out to give me an estimate, but they charged $69 just for that. I decided that since it was likely to take a couple hours to do it and the estimate would be $200-$300 in the end, I might as well do it myself.
I don’t think if I was still working, I would have attempted it. I wouldn’t have had the time to monkey around with it – or at least I would have convinced myself of that.
Having a completely free morning the day the sink arrived emboldened me to be useful and save some money. The hardest part of the job was getting the old sink (sharp edges!) out without hurting myself or the granite countertop. After a couple online videos, the rest seemed pretty straight forward. After a couple hours, voila – I am a handyman.
In the end, I saved a few hundred bucks and it looks as good as new. Maybe in leaving MegaCorp I’ve found myself a new vocation: home do-it-yourself-er. Please don’t tell my wife I’ve signed up for any other projects!
Image Credit: (c) MrFireStation Powder Room
MrFireStation 
First, that “sinking” feeling! Then, mastery! YouTube has changed everything for guys like me who are all thumbs. One handyman carefully and patiently showing how it’s done. Voila!
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Online DIY videos are fantastic. I also changed out the headlights on my SUV to LED last week using instruction from a video. My wife offered to teach my son some recipes before he left for college and he said “I’ll just watch in YouTube, Mom!”
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Was it an undermount? Would not have thought it would be that easy…
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Yes – it under mounts the granite with some brackets and silicone seal. The big risk was damaging the brackets or cracking the granite in removing the old sink.
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YouTube really is a life saver. I’ve done a few faucet replacements since moving in. Without YouTube i would have had to hire.
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Congrats! I’ve been reading some bloggers talking about getting out of your comfort zone in retirement. This fits that in a few ways! Plumbing your new gig?
Last summer we found out our patio plan needed to be switched around and was not “in scope” for the builder anymore (bad builder in so many ways…now has BBB rating of F due to me…but I digress). Paver patio planned and executed in 3 days by hubby & me, thanks to YouTube and at least 5 Home Depot runs (very bad estimates on limestone & leveling sand…I claimed it’s the fact the pickup does have a weight limit…another story as well). My first foray into YouTube DIY. I’m always amazed at what you can find on the Internet! Not sure why, but still am.
So what’s your next project?
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Nothing planned at this point, so no risk I become ‘first name’ at Home Depot! I’ve helped on a patio project before – an Eagle Scout project a friend’s son was leading. I don’t mind doing projects I’ve done before – or helped someone on – but YouTube videos certainly impart some of that experience!
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Where’s the after picture?
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Good question – proof is in the pudding. I added a picture of the finished sink!
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good job, sir 🙂 – You just not saved several hundreds but you increased your knowledge and confidence in the future. This is freedom 😉
In my case I didn’t replace any sink (yet 😀 ) but I learn a lot on youtube: sew, cook, gardening, even to iron a man skirt in 5 minutes (they say in 2 min but 5 is my best time)! Now I should learn how to wash windows faster 😀 😀 😀 😀
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I’ve learned that window washing is all in the tools. A great bottle of cleaning solution and a squeegee/sponge on a stick go a long way!
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