[cpwright]

Knocking down or throwing up the structure for a partition wall isn't that expensive. If you want to build something like 16 linear feet of wall, you need 4 panels of drywall ($40), about 16 2x4s ($43), some tape ($2), joint compound ($15), a gallon of primer ($20), and another of paint ($30-60).

All in all, you can do that for about $200, if you're willing to do it yourself. This neglects doing the electrical (you don't need plumbing for a partition, but you do need outlets every 12 ft so that there is no space on the wall with more than 6' without one).

Until you get into moving structural walls, or doing kitchens and bathrooms; you can change the interior of the house fairly cheaply. Depending on where you live, you may not need any permits either if it isn't a structural change.

[datashovel]

That's true, except perhaps you're not calculating in all the extra tools you use to do that work that (as far as I know) the average homeowner may not have laying around their house.

If you're building up a tool inventory from scratch and all your power tools, etc. that will be needed, this won't be free :)

Then there's also the fear that an inexperienced person would have: "am I buying the right tools for the job?". Or, "will I ever do this kind of project again?" If not why don't I just hire a contractor to do the work for me instead of investing in tools I may never use again, and remove the fear of doing it wrong or causing more damage which in turn will end up costing more money.

The way things are done today it's relatively intimidating to someone who doesn't know the first thing about it. On the other hand I would argue that perhaps it's not necessary that the process of redoing the interior layout of the house should be intimidating or inaccessible to the average home owner.

[cpwright]

It is true that I didn't include tools; trim and finish also add to it depending on what you're doing. When you're doing demo, you may also need to fix or match existing finish work (e.g., you might have interrupted hardwood floors or carpet where there was the old bottom plate).

But building a wall actually requires fairly few tools. You can get buy with a hammer, handsaw, square, and level to do the framing. For the drywall you need a utility knife (for cutting the drywall), some drywall taping knives, a paintbrush and a roller cover.

You can certainly add a drill (to screw it together) or rent a nail gun/compressor to make things go faster. A circular saw is also one of those things that it makes sense for a homeowner to have.

But even if you aren't doing it yourself, you can pay someone who has those tools, and it shouldn't take them that long. Stick construction with drywall is easily modifiable (as compared to e.g. concrete).

Also, I think that now with the advent of Youtube and online forums; things are a lot easier for someone who wants to do it themselves. You can see videos of people doing it, you can ask questions related to your specific situation (which even if you read a book may not be covered, because everything presents just a little bit differently).

It's very empowering to be able to improve your living environment.