The sort of people who are into DIY usually save a lot of money and have plenty of skills that other people envy. Although a lot of people are actually getting worse at DIY, with fewer people opting for practical careers that use their hands, there are loads of places where you can learn how to carry out simple projects around the house. You can increase your skills on Google or YouTube and find out virtually anything to do with basic plumbing, carpentry, and painting within your home.
Pros and Cons of DIY projects
There are always upsides and downsides to doing a DIY project yourself rather than getting a professional in.
Pros:
- It can save you a lot of money compared to getting a professional to visit your house and paying them for their time.
- It’s the chance to gain experience that you can use to help others, or you might even use for a career change in the future.
- It can be a fun activity to take part in with family and friends, and something you can teach your kids if they are interested.
Cons:
- It can take up a lot of time. Not only the time of carrying out the project, but you will need to actually learn some of the skills, too.
- It’s easy to make mistakes. This can lead to unprofessional work and significant errors, and you might even need to get the professionals in to fix the issues. The last thing you want is to make an issue like plumbing worse.
- It’s easy to get sidetracked or lose interest. Not every DIY job is a lot of fun, so at times it might be a case of hanging in there and getting the work done.
5 Tips for DIY Projects
There are a few ways to approach your DIY projects to give the best chance that you will see it through to a conclusion.
1. Don’t do multiple projects at once.
If you’re the sort of person who gets sidetracked easily, you need to make sure you focus on one project. On top of that, it can be hard to take in all the new knowledge needed to get more than one project completed. Stick to one and get it finished before you move onto the next.
2. Go online.
It is easy enough to find instructional guides and videos for almost any type of project. A quick look on YouTube and you will be able to watch videos on everything from changing the lightbulbs on a car headlight to fixing damp problems or plumbing issues in your home. Make sure you find trusted resources.
3. Find the right tools and equipment.
Have you heard the saying about a bad workman who blames his tools? Well, sometimes the tools genuinely are to blame. If you are trying to carry out a DIY job without the right tools then there is every chance that even if you are using the right technique, you won’t get the result you wanted. Before you go ahead and start your project, do some research about what tools you will need. If you don’t have them already then you might have to invest, or see if you can source tools from friends or family.
4. Keep track of your progress.
There are a few reasons to document your progress. If you plan to keep chipping away at a project, for instance using some of your time at the weekends, it is very important that you know where you got to last time and make notes of anything that helped you out. Also, if it is a job that you need to revisit once in a while (such as changing your lightbulbs) those notes might come in really handy. Some people set reminders on their phones or put a time in their calendar to carry out the projects. This can help to keep you focused on the project at hand.
5. Get the right permits and health approvals.
If you need to make big changes, such as structural alterations on your home, there’s a chance you need permission. You need to consult with the local authorities or professionals in some situations, you need to know if your consultant is licensed and able to advise you on the DIY project.
Conclusion
There are so many places online where you can go to learn new skills. Sometimes, a simple YouTube video is all you need to learn exactly how to carry out your new project. It’s likely that it will save you a lot of money if you are happy to put the effort in yourself, and it is always handy to have some skills you can use around the home such as carpentry, repairs, plumbing, and electrics. Of course, you need to make sure you put safety first.
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Author:
Ben is a Web Operations Executive at InfoTracer who takes a wide view from the whole system. He authors guides on entire security posture, both physical and cyber. Enjoys sharing the best practices and does it the right way!