Just do it
Just do it
Six year ago, Maurits d'Ancona bought a house that still needed a lot of refurbishment. The property had been rented out for years and showed many hidden flaws. Maurits decided to just start with the home improvement projects himself and see how far this would get him. "I think it is important that all jobs that are done in and around my house, are done properly. And with this, I trust myself the most. I take my time and never rush. When I lose my enthusiasm, I start something else and finish the job later. It’s my personal guarantee that things are repaired flawlessly."
Don’t be afraid
Whether it concerns his house, the garden, his boat or the car, Maurits tackles everything himself. "You really don't have to hire a professional for everything that needs to be repaired. Believe me, lots of thing are easy to solve yourself. Just don’t be afraid and get started. As long as it is done safely, you can really do a lot more yourself than you might think. And please note that not everything always goes flawlessly. I know from experience that things can go wrong. But for me it feels good to know that I can only be angry with myself and I do not have to blame the specialist who should really know better than I do."
Properly done
Maurits' biggest project to date is the roof renovation of his house. A tiled roof, that is. "I took off every roof tile myself, brought it down, cleaned it and put it back again. And of course, I also renewed the frames and woodwork. It has been a project of years and I am still not completely finished, but I feel confident that the work I have done is excellent and - very important - an improvement for my family that lives under this roof. By the way, my roof renovation also got me my current job. My neighbor saw me toiling on my roof day in, day out. He was impressed and asked me to apply for a job at the Technical Department. It feels great to combine my job and my DIY-projects at home. I suppose a I am a Weekend Warrior through and through."