DIY on a Shoestring

As Britain faces an economic down turn, and homeowners are looking to save a few pennies, i ask the question: Is it possible to do DIY on a shoestring? Well the answer is yes, but you have to carefully plan, plan and plan some more! I will be outlining a few things you should understand about your DIY project before you start and how to make the most out of a tight budget.

DIY is inherently cheaper than paying a tradesman, as you “Do it yourself”, it does exactly what it says on the tin. But be careful if you are embarking on DIY projects you have no experience in, or one that requires qualified tradesmen - you may end up doing more harm than good! Some typical examples include roofing, plumbing and electronics which I would always recommend hiring somebody qualified or seeking professional advice before carrying out any work.

First of all, I would always recommend doing your research on a project and see if you can pick up some tips along the way. HomeDIYTips.com will be looking to grow its bank of articles, so keeping checking back on a regular basis, but there are numerous other help sites that give great advice from experienced DIYers. That way, you can learn all the tips, tricks and potential downfalls of any given project before you start – which will save you time and more importantly money!

Secondly, try shopping around for your raw materials before you start, an hour looking around online at various shops and online DIY stores can save you a substantial amount of money, which really adds up for those larger projects. Be careful however, with sub-quality products you run the risk of you brushes, tools and machinery breaking in just a few uses – go for a middle-ground that doesn’t compromise quality but keeps costs down. I remember buying some cheap paint brushes, but found the bristles fell out really easily and ended up embedded in the paint work – lesson learnt.

Sites like the BBC have a great home design section that gives a number of fantastic design tips and inspiration for home and garden. You don’t want to choose a decor that will look dated in a year or two, so if in doubt keep things simple and don’t be too stubborn to get someone elses opinion - an objective viewpoint can be a very useful thing.

Here at HomeDIYTips, we will aim to provide more in-depth training articles for a variety of projects along the way, but one main bit of advice would be do your research first and like the old saying goes “measure twice, cut once”. It is definately better to do things right first time and not have to change it later - trust me from experience on that one!