5 Tips to Become a DIYer

To some, the thought of doing home projects yourself is scary. From laying hardwood floors, to plumbing and electrical work, there is fear that you may ruin what might not actually be broken. It doesn’t help that you likely know someone who does all their home remodeling on their own, even the specialized work that requires permits.

However, becoming a DIYer is not as difficult as you may think. It requires some time, and a little patience. Let’s face it, you are not going to become Bob Villa overnight. But, with some practice you might find yourself saving money and having fun by doing the work on your own.

The following tips will help you become your own DIY expert.

Start Small

Starting small will help you gain confidence, as well as teach you techniques that will eventually help you with bigger projects. I’d advise not taking on projects that require electrical or plumbing work. These are highly specialized and mistakes can often be costly.

Home projects such as building your own book shelf, putting down carpet, or even putting in hardwood floors are time consuming, but fairly easy projects that will teach you the importance of measuring, cutting angles, and using a variety of tools and hardware.

Starting small also means not starting a project so big it becomes discouraging. For example, laying carpet is not complicated. However, if you decide to put carpet down in your entire house it may be overwhelming. So, start with one room. Then move on from there.

Use the right tools for the job

How many times have you used a soup can or a wrench to hammer a nail? At some point in your life, you have likely used the wrong tool, or hardware for the job. One good example of misunderstood tools is a post we recently had on nails vs. screws vs. bolts. Using the right tools, and exploring better tools for each job will not only help you build a great workshop, but will also make your job much safer and easier.

If you don’t know what the best tool for the job is, simply ask. Most of the time your local hardware store is filled with people willing to give you advice on the best tool for the job.

Don’t be Afraid to make mistakes

Watching home improvement and DIY shows on television can skew our vision into believing that one, DIY projects are easy, and two, beginners don’t make mistakes. The fact is that you will make mistakes. Don’t let this discourage you. Mistakes are the best way for you to learn how to do something correctly.

Remember, everyone was a novice at some point. In fact, if you ask any professional contractor about their biggest mistakes they’ll likely have a long list of things they can only laugh about now.

Do what you love

It would be ridiculous for me to sit here and tell you that everyone can be a DIYer. Not everyone will enjoy the sweat and work put into DIY projects. Keep this in mind when you choose your first project. No one is forcing you to make a birdhouse if you hate birds. Find a project that aligns with other things you enjoy doing.

If you love your dog, then maybe building a dog house would be fun. If you spend all your time in the kitchen, perhaps putting soft-close hardware on all of your drawers would be fun.

Working on projects that emphasize what you love to do is a great way to build confidence and personal satisfaction in what you’ve accomplished.

Research

Research is fundamental to doing a project correctly. Before starting your project make sure you review the plans and have the right tools. With resources such as books, friends, and of course the internet you have a wealth of information available to you on how to do nearly any project.

Websites such as Youtube.com have become indispensable for millions of people who are looking to build, fix, or replace something in their home. Regardless what kind of research you are doing it is important that you spend the time researching how to do the project, and planning out your work. This will save you time, frustration, and likely money.

Explore

Once you have a few projects under your belt don’t be afraid to take on more complicated and larger projects. Even with some experience larger projects may seem daunting. However, just like when you first begin, take steps to the next level. For example, installing soft-close drawers, to book shelf, to putting down hardwood floors, to building a deck, and so on.

With practice, patience, and time you will be well on your way to become the home DIYer you always wanted to be.