How to Be Good at DIY – My Top Tips

How to Be Good at DIY – My Top Tips

When you have a house or a flat, there’s always things to do — unless you have a brand-new house designed to suit your needs, then you might get a little break. Regular things like painting and gardening and then we have the bigger projects too – changing floors, renovating kitchens and bathrooms, maybe even extending your home. Some of us like to do these things — or at least some of them — ourselves and others always get an expert in.

My dad was the latter, he rarely did any DIY and would choose to hire someone to do the job. My husband is the opposite and really confident and good at sorting things out around the house. He usually gets asked to fix something at my mum’s house every time we visit too!

Many of us make mistakes when we’re starting out with home improvement projects — check out this article about Mistakes That Everyone Makes with DIY to avoid common mistakes!

Below are a few things that I’ve noticed are helpful when you want to be successful at doing DIY projects:

• Shop For Ideas Online

Thankfully, the times people live in today are on your side. There are now many ways for people to have ideas on things on things that you’d want to learn about online, one of which is DIY. If you have a mobile gadget or device with you, you can even bring this into your workspace. That way, you can watch the video as you do the DIY project. The more “how-to” videos you watch, the higher the chances of improvement and success in your pursuit of becoming good at DIY projects.

• Know Your Limitations

This is a crucial — only undertake DIY jobs that you have the ability to do safely. Unless you’re trained to do electricity for example, don’t do it as this can be dangerous. Also, don’t try to build an extension or anything big if you do not have the knowledge for these kinds of things. It will cost you more to do something incorrectly or unsafely and then have to hire someone then just getting someone to help in the first place.

Just do projects within your skill set or things that you can easily learn. When you choose to hire someone, go for a website with reviews like Rated People or ask friends and family if they know of anyone good.

• Do Your Research

Always research things that are new to you. There are lots of useful resources online from blogs and in video format too showing you how to do all sorts of things. These can be really helpful when you’re trying to figure something out and will help you pick up tips and tricks.

Apart from online resources, you can even go back to traditional books, which are always tried and tested. There are a number of good books available on how to build things using solid wood such as cedar or redwood, but this isn’t an option for most of us. A little advice here and there is always helpful, but in a situation like this, you probably want to get as much advice as possible before you start any project.

• Plan Your Project

Make a plan and schedule for your DIY project with an idea of what you want to have finished by a certain time and how to achieve this. Plan what you need to buy and when and how much money the project is going to cost so that you don’t go over your intended budget.

• Protect Yourself

Make sure you wear the correct protective clothing for any projects that involve chemicals or power tools that could cut you or splash bits into your eyes. Eye protection glasses, mouth protection mask and gloves are essential items but for some projects you might need protective clothes and shoes too. Engelbert Strauss has a great selection of workwear and safetywear.

• Have the Right Tools

The tools for the job will make the project easier and safer too. Some things are worth investing in if you’re doing regular DIY while other things might be more practical and affordable to hire for the project duration. Before you buy anything new, make sure you read plenty of tool reviews so that you know what’s the best option for you.

Hence, before you jump right into a DIY project, it’s a good idea to have your workplace or toolbox with all of the DIY basics you’ll need.  One of these essentials is the best brad nailer. You don’t have to shop for all of these tools at once since some of them can be costly. Take it one project at a time, and determine the tools that you absolutely need to have or are indispensable, and identify those that you can just forego or borrow from others.

For example, you might only need a tile cutter once or twice in your life if you’re renovating a kitchen or a bathroom. Check Gumtree or Freecycle for a bargain.

Final Word

Becoming a DIY master is always a great idea. Being one allows you to accomplish things at home without calling anyone to help you out. While the thought of doing any handy work, both small and big projects, may seem like a daunting idea, with the right help and practice, you’ll be able to get it right.

If this is your first time, start small. Then, make your way from there. Once you’ve gotten used to it, you’ll find that DIY projects are actually great to jump right into!

Collaborative Post. Contains sponsored links.