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We welcome you to read through this page for a whole-picture perspective on the Handy Homeowner Bootcamp. If you’re looking for specific information, you can use the following links to skip around:
Why Take Home Improvement Classes?
Your home is one of your biggest sources of stability in life…and one of your biggest investments. When you take care of home, home takes care of you. That’s why knowing how to repair, renovate, and maintain your home is an invaluable skill. Ready to become a home improvement pro?
Our in-person home improvement classes are for all folks of all skill levels.
We teach in-person home improvement classes for upkeep-oriented homeowners…and for industrious DIY renters. We welcome all genders, all ages (with the caveat you must be at least 18 years old to attend independently), and all skill levels—from novice to knowledgeable.
If you want to replace the leaky faucet that’s been dripping for weeks, swap that worn-out carpeting for wood floors, or patch and re-paint those battered walls, you’ll learn how to do all of this and more in our Handy Homeowner Bootcamp. Plus, you’ll take home a professional checklist of seasonal home-care tasks so you know what your home needs and when.
The Best of Both Worlds: Home Renovation & Home Maintenance Classes in One
The Handy Homeowner Bootcamp covers more than home renovations and improvements. It also guides you through the slightly less glamorous, but seriously important tasks of home maintenance.
What’s the difference?
Home improvements or renovations are self-chosen upgrades that enhance the beauty, value, and function of your dwelling. Home maintenance, on the other hand, is a bit more practical—it includes the routine care necessary to prevent future problems and keep your home in good working order. To be an effective and handy homeowner, having a working knowledge of both is crucial.
The Handy Homeowner Bootcamp doubles down on this front. We cover the best of both worlds: home improvement and home maintenance. This means you’ll be prepared to take on tasks from common fix-it issues to larger-scale renovation projects. It also means you can save big bucks by forgoing expensive contractors who may not even get to your project for weeks or months.
Home Maintenance is a Long-Term Game (and we’re here to help you win)
The truth is, even a well-built home requires regular maintenance to have a long life. Caring for your dwelling—inside and out—is a lot like preventative healthcare; consistent good-for-your-home habits equal an abode that ages gracefully.
Over the course of our five-day home improvement classes, we’ll dive deep into hands-on skills and techniques that will support the health and beauty of your home. We’ll cover everything from hanging a new light fixture to tiling your favorite bathroom.
Most of the skills you’ll learn are widely applicable to a range of household projects. For example, use your new tile-laying prowess for shower upgrades, kitchen backsplashes and countertops, entryways, and woodstove hearths. Work your tongue-and-groove expertise on floors, ceilings, siding, and even covered decks.
When you’re playing for the long-term health and value of your home, home maintenance skills are always a win.
What to Expect: Building Your Home Improvement Skillset
Throughout this five-day immersive workshop, we’ll cover basic home improvement and home maintenance skills delivered to you via in-person lectures, demonstrations, and lots of hands-on practice.
Topics covered include:
- Installing wood flooring
- Tile installation
- Electrical systems & light fixtures
- Plumbing systems & installing a faucet
- Dry wall patching
- Stud-finding and shelf-hanging
- Seasonal maintenance checklist & exterior upkeep
New to home improvement? There will be ample time to dialogue with your instructors and get clear about the subject matter. We firmly believe there are no “dumb questions.” We’ll encourage group discussions and instructor Q&A.
The Handy Homeowner Bootcamp Schedule & Course Curriculum
Four-Day Intensive Schedule
- Day 1: 9:00 am-6:00ish pm
- Day 2: 9:00 am-5:00ish pm
- Day 3: 9:00 am-5:00ish pm
- Day 4: 9:00 am – 5:00ish pm
- Day 5: 9:00 am-4:30 pm
Each day includes a one‑hour lunch break.
Please note: The daily schedule and course curriculum is subject to change slightly due to weather, the needs of our projects, and the desires of the group.
Keep Me in the Loop…
We’ll let you know when classes open for registration, and send you our fun and informative newsletters.
Wood Flooring Installation
To start this lesson, you’ll learn about types of flooring, as well as the purpose of and different kinds of subflooring and underlayment.
You’ll then review how to take accurate measurements and learn to safely use a chop saw. This power tool will likely come in handy for so many of your home improvement projects, so we’re excited to help you handle it like a pro!
Then the exciting part! Dive into a demo on wood flooring installation followed by lots of hands-on practice. As a group, you’ll work on an installation project, guided by our expert instructors.
Electrical & Plumbing Systems:
We’ll learn about circuit breakers, calculating circuit loads, and how to wire an outlet. To cap it off, you’ll get hands-on practice changing a light fixture. Obviously safety will be the number one priority in this session!
For plumbing, we’ll start with a big-picture overview of the water systems that sustain your home. After that we’ll cover how to install a faucet, snake a drain, and/or clear clogs by deconstructing pipes and putting them back together. If time allows, we may even get into sink replacement or basic toilet repairs. Again, there will be opportunities for hands-on practice so you can truly learn how to do these fix-it projects yourself.
Tile Installation:
We’ll cover the nitty gritty for installing tile in your home. Understand your material options and get hands-on instruction with the necessary tools. You’ll practice layout and cutting of tile for a life-size install. Then you’ll mix and spread thin-set, use spacers, and practice actually laying tile on a trivet or tray that you’ll get to take home with you!
Walls: Studs, Pictures, Shelves & Drywall Repair
Learn how to find studs (you know, those things that hold up the house) in your walls, and how to solidly hang a shelf. We’ll also teach you how to use drywall anchors so that you can get that picture frame in just the right spot, even if there are no studs nearby!
You’ll also get your hands on drywall patching & repair. Ever wondered how many layers of mud you need to hide the baseball bat dent your 4-year old put in the wall? How long to let each coat dry before applying the next? And the secret to getting those seams smooth? Our drywall patching and repair session will demystify all of this!
Exterior Maintenance & Efficiency Upgrades
Learn what exterior maintenance items to complete each year and how to spot problems before they become even bigger issues–gutters, drains, fascia, frost-proofing, and more! We’ll also discuss what efficiency upgrades may give you the most bang for your buck, and when it might be worth investing in those upgrades.
Our home repair classes are held at our beautiful outdoor workshops near Asheville, NC
The Handy Homeowner Bootcamp is held at our outdoor workshop located on the beautiful Wild Abundance Paint Fork Campus. During each day of class, we’ll work in several covered areas amidst gorgeous mountain views, native plants, and a bustling land-based living school.
Here, students can use tools and work on projects with fresh air and direct connection to nature. Getting to learn and work in these simple, outdoor spaces can be very inspiring; you don’t need a climate-controlled $40,000 workshop in order to use tools and take on home improvement projects.
Please note: class happens mostly outdoors (under cover), rain or shine, whatever the temperature.
Keep Me in the Loop…
We’ll let you know when classes open for registration, and send you our fun and informative newsletters.
Your Primary Instructor for the Handy Homeowner Bootcamp
Matty Semkowich
Matty (He/Him) has always had a curious ‘but how does it work?’ kind of drive; from building skateboard ramps out of scrap wood and rebuilding bikes as a child, to deconstructing the symbiotic relationships at play that keep modern structures standing. Matty has been renovating old homes for over 25 years, gaining knowledge from working alongside independent builders as well as tirelessly researching best- practice methods from the old world and new innovations. He has run his own remodelling business for 19 years, with the ‘start to finish’ ethos that results in having expertise in all aspects of home renovation, and appreciation for how each system affects another. His core value of empowering others through hands-on learning has proven successful as numerous testimonials attest to his thorough inclusive way of teaching.
Matty lives in an off-grid self-built cabin(that constantly changes!) and passionately runs a non profit community bike shop and teaches cycling to youth when not swinging a hammer or pouring a footer.
Our Handy Homeowner Bootcamps are held at the Wild Abundance Paint Fork Campus
Our Paint Fork campus is a bustling creekside landscape with gorgeous mountain views, a breathtaking timber-framed pavilion classroom, and covered open-air wood shops for learning in all weather, plus other lovely features like a beautiful outdoor kitchen and newly completed bath house.
Our campus is both a peaceful place and a site for community learning. At times, two or more classes may overlap. This means you’ll have more opportunities to connect with a wider community of students and teachers and you may also notice some additional background noise and activity.
Many of our classes utilize power tools, so please keep this in mind. On occasion, we may need to bring in maintenance folks to keep our structures and systems operating smoothly. We’ll always do our best to make sure your class time is as focused and limited in distractions as possible. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Please note: our campuses are all unconventional, with rustic amenities and uneven ground. Read more about planning your trip and about our campuses for additional information.
The Paint Fork campus is 30 minutes north of Asheville. You’ll receive detailed directions on how to get here upon registration.
You’ve got several options of where to stay during your class. Some students camp, some locals commute, and others choose to rent accommodations with more creature comforts.
Onsite camping (with your own warm bedding and rainproof tent or hammock) is available for free to all students (including locals) during class. Some set-up-for-you tents are available with cots and cozy bedding for a flat fee.
Campers and all students have access to a lovely outdoor kitchen equipped with a stove and hot and cold water, plus pots and pans, knives and cutting boards, bowls, plates, and utensils, along with an outdoor shower with hot and cold running water and an outhouse. If you’d rather rent a hotel, house or cottage, there are many available. We’ll share a curated list of nearby options once you’ve registered.
So you can better plan your trip to come learn with us, here’s some info on accommodations we offer, or that we link to in the student handbook you’ll receive upon registration. Below it you’ll find info on transportation.
- Camping with your own gear: free
- Staying in a large tent with a cozy cot and bedding that we set up for you: $200 flat fee; you can stay there anytime from 5pm before the first day of your class, to 12pm the day after your class ends.
- Hyper-local off-campus single rentals: $40-$2000/night + fees
- Hyper-local off-campus couples rentals: $20-100/person/night + fees
- Hyper-local off-campus group rentals: $25-$86/person/night + fees
Wild Abundance students are given awesome discounts at a local hotel, and a hyper-local inn. More information given in the student handbook upon registration.
Getting a place or renting a car with a group of fellow students and carpooling are great ways to make connections and reduce costs! We share contact info for each class so you can get in touch and make plans together. Everyone has a chance to keep their info private if they choose.
You won’t need a car during your class. There’s a chance you may want to run an errand or go out to dinner with fellow students, and if this happens, it’s highly likely that another student with a car will be happy to give you a lift.
We’ve also got a list of folks who will do airport and grocery shuttle runs for $50-$80 each way. We share this information in the student handbook when you register. If you’d rather rent a car, those run anywhere from $45-$200/day. Just like with lodging, teaming up with a group of fellow students to share a car rental can help build connections and reduce costs.
Pricing for the Handy Homeowner Bootcamp
REGULAR PRICING: $1100-$2200*
*Please pay what you can within this range. The median price helps cover the class costs. Choose the low end if you’re low income, or the maximum fee if your household earns over $115,000/year. Place yourself within this range based on your income.