Practical Tips for Learning DIY Skills

If you have a leaky faucet or crooked shelf in your home, what’s your first reaction? For many people, it’s to call a friend or family member and ask if they can help. If that doesn’t help, then you could always contact a local contractor to see if they can give you a hand. If that doesn’t work, then there’s the last option; just do it yourself!

Unfortunately, DIY skills aren’t really taught through everyday life, but they can be relatively easy (and enjoyable!) to pick up. Plus, it’s a great way to be more practical in the home if you can do your own repairs. So in this post, we’re going to take a look at some practical tips that will help you improve your DIY skills.

Be realistic

Let’s face it, you’re not going to have the skills, experience, tools or materials to tackle a large project. Be realistic and don’t try to do something that would cost hundreds or even thousands if you asked a contractor to help you. As you grow more proficient at DIY, you can start taking on more complex jobs.

Start small

And in the theme of being realistic, start small! You can start with small renovations and DIY projects around the home to add a bit of functionality or style. For instance, consider adding a shelf or two to the walls of a room, or try repairing a chair that you’ve left in the garage for a long time. These small projects will help you build up experience and make it easier for you to tackle more complex projects in the future.

Equip yourself, but don’t go overboard

You don’t need an incredibly expensive drill for beginner DIY projects and you don’t need to spend an entire day looking at the reviews of products you don’t know how to use. Just get yourself a relatively cheap set of tools and start from there. Keep doing small DIY projects and then you’ll build up experience and learn what tools are worth investing in and what features you want.

Don’t forget your materials

Make sure you get yourself a bunch of materials for your projects. Some of the basics include sets of screws, washers, nuts and bolts. Depending on the type of work you plan to do, it’s also a good idea to purchase specific items. This can include screws that are ideal for fastening drylining and plasterboard to studwork (such as for installing shelves), or pipes and sealants if you plan to do plumbing-related work. You don’t need to be hundreds of a certain item, but having a couple of spares is great in the event you need to perform some emergency repairs.

Safety first

You should always focus on your safety first. Don’t neglect basic safety equipment such as goggles, gloves and a mask if you plan to do any kind of woodworking. You might also need specific safety equipment, such as a live wire detector if you plan to install shelves onto a wall.


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