May Schwartz
My blogs
| Gender | Female |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Independent home renovation consultant / DIY risk advisor + Former project coordinator for contractors/home inspectors |
| Location | Raleigh, NC, United States |
| Introduction | Hi, I'm May. Somewhere between my second flooded bathroom and the electrical panel Gary swore he could "just replace himself," I realized I had a calling — and it wasn't plumbing. I spent over a decade working alongside residential contractors and home inspectors in the Raleigh area, walking through hundreds of homes at every stage of repair, renovation, and regret. I've seen the aftermath of well-intentioned weekends gone sideways — the load-bearing wall someone "wasn't sure about," the roof patch that made it through one winter but not two. But I've also been that homeowner in the hardware store aisle, Googling whether I actually need a permit for this. I get it. Gary and I own a 1987 colonial that has taught us more than we ever wanted to know about what's hiding inside walls. Our three kids have grown up watching us make smart calls — and occasionally expensive ones. When Not to Do It Yourself exists because the question isn't always "can I do this?" — it's "should I?" Let's figure that out together. |
| Interests | Home renovation strategy (not just DIY execution), Building science (what’s behind walls, moisture, structure), Real estate walkthroughs / house histories, Practical problem-solving, Budgeting and cost-benefit decisions, Weekend hardware store runs (but with purpose, not impulse), and Teaching others from experience |
| Favorite movies | The Money Pit (very on-the-nose for my life experience), Julie & Julia (learning through trial and error), Hidden Figures (competence and problem-solving), It’s Complicated (home + life transitions), and Chef (reinvention and building something of your own) |
| Favorite music | 90s and early 2000s alt/pop (what I grew up with), Acoustic / folk while working (calm, focused energy), and Classic rock during projects |
| Favorite books | Nonfiction: Home renovation / building guides, “What can go wrong” case-study style books, Personal finance (homeownership-focused) | Narrative nonfiction / memoir: The Glass Castle – resilience and unconventional homes, Educated – learning through experience | Fiction: Character-driven stories with strong, capable protagonists, Light, smart reads that I can pick up between responsibilities |