About The Author

Nancy Schaffer

Home and Garden Content Writer

Nancy’s father was a jack-of-all-trades, specializing as a handyman and car mechanic. Over the years, she worked with him on many projects, from rebuilding the engine in her first car to working around the house. Eventually, that led to building her own house, doing most of the work herself, including installing concrete countertops and building a custom deck.

As a teen, Nancy’s first job was working on a US Forest Service trail crew. After high school, she worked as a groundskeeper and nursery worker for several years. She spent a decade working with at-risk youth, focusing on outdoor projects and activities. She then worked for 20 years in the restaurant industry before transitioning to freelance writing.

In her writing, Nancy draws on the knowledge she has gathered over the years doing hands-on work in the home, garden, and outdoors. She loves using power tools and building and is always ready to learn new skills and discover better ways of doing things.

Eventually, that led to Nancy building her own house, doing most of the work herself, including installing concrete countertops and building a custom deck. Since her dad passed on, she has worked on many projects with her son and nephew and now looks forward to building things with her grandson.