Construction costs are currently skyrocketing

Some jobs are quite expensive BUT also very easy to do yourself. We gutted the bathroom of about 7sqm. Costs: €338 for the mixed rubble container, €30 for coffee, beer and lunch for the helpers, 4 men and some tools from acquaintances. Price from the plumbing company was over €2k.

The jobs that are quite expensive and very easy to do yourself are usually the ones that craftsmen don't feel like doing. Hence the often unrealistic defensive quotes for exactly those jobs :)

Some jobs are quite expensive BUT also very easy to do yourself. We gutted the bathroom of about 7sqm. Costs: €338 for the mixed debris container, €30 for coffee, beer, and lunch for the helpers, 4 men and some tools from acquaintances. The price through the plumbing company was over €2k.

That's exactly right. And there are many things that are simple and only cost muscle power and maybe a bit of disposal. Especially in demolition. I wouldn't install a roof window myself, build a dormer, generally I wouldn't go on the roof. Not proper electrical work, no water-carrying flush-mounted stuff. Things like that. But there are many things you can really do yourself well and that simply saves a lot of money. You have to be willing to sacrifice time, of course. The work doesn't do itself.

I do trust myself to "help" with something like that, but starting from scratch and "just doing it" is quite scary for me with many things if we've never done them before. Especially when some devices are involved that I've never held in my hands. And then the question is a bit whether I know someone who can give me some instructions or not. And no, YouTube doesn't really replace practical experience either. But maybe I'm just too much of a scaredy-cat ;)

We haven’t had to do much handiwork for many years, except maybe painting a wall or something. We’re cautiously approaching small things, but that’s more like (you may laugh) "we have an outdoor wooden table for the first time, how do you actually maintain it/sand it down/paint it" and not immediately the same with the fixed indoor stairs :S

You simply have to define for yourself what an hour of free time is worth and calculate accordingly. And for me, the value of an hour of free time is very high, so I’d rather pay the craftsman. That’s why I also have a cleaning person.

If you have the money, or it’s not needed elsewhere, you can do that, yes. Some do not have that luxury.

I do consider myself capable of "helping" with something like that, but starting from zero to "just do it" is quite scary for me with many things when we have never done them before. Especially when some devices are involved that I have never held before. And then there's the question whether I know someone who can give me some guidance or not. And no, YouTube really doesn't replace practical experience. But maybe I'm just too much of a scaredy-cat ;)

We haven't had to do any handiwork for many years, except for painting a wall or something like that. We are cautiously approaching small things, but it's more like (you may laugh) "we have the first wooden outdoor table, how do you care for it actually/sand it down/paint it" and not the same for the fixed indoor stairs :S

With many tasks, you are more precise yourself (painting, laying floors, assembly) and it turns out better than from a professional. For some things like plastering or tiling without tools, you need an extreme amount of practice to achieve a good result.

But the quality in craftsmanship has massively declined due to overloaded order books and a shortage of skilled workers. It's rare to find someone who brings passion and skill.