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To DIY or Not to DIY, That is The (First) Question…

Posted by Elaine Sturgess on January 10, 2010 · View Comments 

First I should say that my blog won’t just be about DIY, I’ll be bringing you news of new products to enhance your home, tips on how to makeover rooms and much more – but I wanted to start with some basic thoughts on making the decision about whether you should take on Home Improvement projects yourself or employ some professionals. There’s no doubt that you can save significant amounts of money by being a DIY Diva – unless of course, you don’t get a hang of the basics and the resultant DIY Disaster presents a challenge even for the SOS team!

Improving your home not only makes it a nicer space to live in, but can also significantly enhance its value – and conversely a botched job can make it rather less attractive to a prospective buyer. So here are a few of my tips about making that initial decision.

1. Preparation

More than half the contribution to a successful DIY project lies in the preparation. It is probably the most

Getting Your Measurement Right Will Save You Grief...

tedious and frustrating part of the project because it’s time consuming and yet you see little progress or impact – but it is absolutely essential.

Generally speaking you shouldn’t even think about papering over the wallpaper that’s been papered over before – and dismiss from your mind the notion that tiling over the top of the existing wobbly tiles is a good idea!! Preparing your work area to give you the absolute maximum chance of a good finish is a must.

Take a good long look at the project and make an assessment of the preparatory needs. If the wall you are seeking to paint needs re-plastering, then that is what must happen. List all the work that needs to be completed and then spend some time thinking about what tools and materials you will need for the job and think about the skills you will need to complete it. And write down the steps you need to take in order, so that you have a clear plan of what needs to be done and when!

And on that point, most DIY tasks are actually fairly straight forward, what they require is a combination of the right tools, the gathering of some information to make sure you use the right methods – and a bit of practice. (I’ll come back to some specifics about certain basic tasks like measuring, painting and wallpapering in future posts).

Bottom line is, if you’re not up for the elbow grease, turn it over to the people who are!

2. Basic Skills

The wonky shelf, lumpy wallpaper, drippy paint; we’ve all seen it, right? They make a DIY job look disastrous, but actually they take only minor adjustments to basic skills to put them right.

Making sure you get some simple things right; like accurate measuring and marking, using a spirit level, learning to push bubbles from wallpaper and practising brush techniques – these can all turn your project into a professional looking job.

Take the time to learn about the basic skills. It’s not rocket science – is it fellas? ;)

3. The Right Tools for the Job

Invest in The Right Tools!

Using the right tools is essential – and sometimes this means making sure you invest in the right QUALITY of tools.

It’s not always true that cheapest offers the best value – and this can certainly be true of DIY tools. A case in point is plastering. When I first decided to have a go at plastering walls, it took quite some time to develop a technique that got the plaster starting to look smooth – but even then I was struggling to finish it effectively – until I researched online and invested in a top of the range Marshalltown finishing trowel – and wow, what a difference!

Again, research your needs – there are lots of online forums where you can get good, independent advice and I’ve listed some below to help.

And finally…

4. Confidence

Once you’ve decided to crack on and do it – do it with confidence!

And by the way, for you ladies in particular, if you’re on a new year diet and exercise regime, definitely make DIY part of your programme – the physical effort is great for shedding a few pounds and toning!!

Some handy DIY links:

1. For lots of DIY guides and an active forum for help, try www.diynot.co.uk

2. For the kitchen, have a look at my own site, 1000’s of kitchen DIY products and material

3. For general DIY tools and a broad range of architectural ironmongery, visit topdiy.co.uk

4. For a broad range of DIY hand and power tools, try www.tooled-up.com

5. …and resident blogger Nick Parkin’s Pimlico flats site has some very practical and useful advice on DIY projects too!

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  • Elaine - thank you for the mention, I am extremely fortunate to have a regular column written by Richard Greenland who is an expert on building for tenants - how to build property that will wear a bit of abuse well.
  • Hi Elaine,

    Your post was quite timely because the snow had meant a burst pipe and flooding today at home!

    Now, what's your tip to women like me who don't have a clue about DIY and worse still a hubby who's equally clueless?

    My house is lovely but sparse - all because of DIY ignorance!

    Your advice needed....

    take care
    Bian
  • Aaaargh - burst pipe not really a task for a DIY virgin!

    My suggestion is to pick a DIY project that means you can focus your learning on a single, not too complex skill, then research as many guides and tips to help you succeed with it. And pick something you can do together so that progress from cluelessness to clued up is equally beneficial ( painting together might be fun - see Ida's comment above ;) )
  • I am 100% for (my husband) to DIY!

    We have used enough cowboys we could start our own ranch.

    I will be following your blog with interest as we are presently renovating our home and I just cannot wait to get to the kitchen..........aagh!
  • Hmmm, well we'll have to see if we can at least get you to a 20% contribution by the time the kitchen comes round... ;)

    On which subject I'll be offering some advice that dispels the myth that the kitchen is the preserve of specialists with articles on, for example, how easy it is in most cases to completely makeover your kitchen with replacement doors - including a guide on how to fit them!
  • I am hopeless at any type of DIY. I surprised myself when I managed to strip wall paper from the walls and paint them too, but can't say all the paint ended up on the walls ;-)
  • I bet you're not really...!

    Really satisfying when you tackle a project and then you see the results are better than you expected, isn't it?

    And the painting sounds like it might have been a blast?!!
  • Excellent! I hope to learn much from you, Elaine, and have plenty of projects, even in my rented home. I'll make a list...

    I've already learned that cheap is not worth it, often. My new rechargeable drill was the cheapest I could buy and it's very limited and not up to half the tasks I have for it. Still - the hammer works ;-)
  • Great; look forward to your challenges:)

    On the subject of drills, I rate Dewalt power tools, sign up to screwfix.com and wait for their email offers; they often have great quality Dewalt products at half price. But for a really good value combi drill, try www.axminster.co.uk. their own branded 14.4V combi cordless has been an absolute workhorse - and for £56 you get two rechargeable batteries (no real need to buy the extra one, two should do you).

    Hope that's helpful!
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