Real Estate Corner: The right tool for the job

I did not come into this world a natural “handyman.” My Uncle Ted, on the other hand, is one of those guys that can fix most anything. Throughout life I have built my fair share of tree houses, skateboard ramps, saw horses and even a nice three-tier end table. The biggest factor in the level of success with all of those endeavors is having the right equipment. When you witness a quality piece of woodwork, whether it is a birdhouse or a kayak, the root of that project is inevitably a workshop full of equipment and tools meant for that type of project.

One of the best examples of this is your local auto repair shop. I worked as a mechanic for a year and even spent a summer working with the owner on his pit crew for his short-track stock car team. Never has “the right tool for the job” been so evident. I would always be amazed when, after struggling, swearing and bleeding with a certain part or bolt, Tim would walk over and hand me a tool that bent a certain way or angled just right to make the job incredibly simple. There were even wrenches in his toolbox, among the tens of thousands of dollars in other tools, that he had simply cut in half or shaved down on one side because they helped him with a certain fix on a specific make and model of vehicle. It was that knowledge (and toolbox) that made him one of the smartest and most efficient mechanics I know.