Not "hip" as in cool or trendy -- but "H.I.P." as in Home Improvement Projects.
The ladies who gathered recently at a Realtor's office in Lower Gwynedd earlier this week are learning how to fix things around their homes, so they don't have to call -- and pay -- a professional.
Beth Allen, of Red Door Decors, teaches the five-week, ten-hour course.
She explains, "It empowers women to be able to take control of their home and manage their finances, because they can handle these projects independently.They don't have to pay for contractors and, with rising costs of contractors, a lot of women are widowed, single or divorced and they just don't have that expendable income."
Among the lessons: how to open a tube of caulk and use a caulk gun to seal cracks and weatherize. She also explains how to install a light fixture.
"An electrician can run you $200 to come in and change a light fixture," Allen says.
And she demonstrates what to do if your sink stopper breaks.
"A plumber is $100 just to walk through the door," Allen says. "And it could be a $10 repair job with a buddy. So, it's a simple fix for folks to handle at home."
Allen's next course begins Tuesday night, March 29, 2011, and the cost for the five two-hour sessions is $50.
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