There really is nothing quite like being able to solve a problem in your home all by yourself. It can save so much money and also allows you to achieve the home of your dreams. Whether it’s from home renovations shows like Fixer Upper on HGTV, Hometalk and DIY video tutorials that seem to show up on your Facebook feed all the time, or simply watching friends and family do it, the idea of being able to fix up your home by yourself is something that’s incredibly attractive for a lot of people.
Of course, there’s one important barrier for a lot of people being able to do just that: they have absolutely no idea where even to start and get overwhelmed. I talk to people all the time who might have the drive to do it themselves, but they have no idea what that would even entail. With that in mind, I decided to share Five Easy Steps To Becoming A DIY Expert. Here are some things that you need to do in order to turn yourself into the DIY pro that you’ve always dreamed of being. *This post contains affiliate links.
1. Get the right tools
Without the right tools, it is nearly impossible to do any type of proper home renovation or DIY project. Specific jobs are always going to require certain tools if you want to do them properly. Now, this doesn’t mean that you suddenly have to go out and buy a table saw, unless you can afford it and you really want one, but it does mean that you need to have some of the essentials. Most of the best toolkits for home usage come with a lot of the same items. A hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, level, angle grinder, and other basic tools are the backbone of any good DIY project. You can actually get surprisingly far with just these simple things. Sure, if you want to branch out further down the line, go for it, but a basic toolkit will do you just fine for a long time.
My husband is wonderful with power tools. I am a bit intimidated by them, but I don’t let that stop me! I was able to install some DIY faux shiplap in my entry way using just some basic tools. You can see the full post here.
2. Learn as much as possible
There was a time when DIY was a skill that had to be passed down from a family member or learned in a trade school. Luckily there is now a fantastic source of pretty much any information that you might need, right at your fingertips. Youtube is a great source for those who like to watch and learn and the internet is a fantastic place for anything that you want to learn about DIY projects. Of course, it’s a good idea to find a decent and trustworthy site; you don’t want to be getting advice from just anyone and end up picking up a lot of bad habits or useless info.
3. Start small
You might want to start repairing your house right away, but before you start knocking through any drywall, it’s a good idea to start with something small and simple. Little repairs here and there like fixing a leaky faucet patching up a hole in the wall are a great place to start since they’re the kinds of things that you might not feel comfortable paying a professional to take care of, but if you’re a beginner and you make a mistake then it’s not going to be a total disaster. It’s actually pretty hard to mess a lot of these projects up, which means that they’re great for learning new skills in a relatively risk-free environment. Once you’re feeling a little more confident, then you can move up to the more significant projects, just be careful that you don’t become overly confident and end up destroying your home!
4. Take professional advice
Now, the internet might be your friend when it comes to getting info on how to DIY, but it can also be confusing, and some of the methods taught might be more dangerous than they are useful. If you feel like you’re getting stuck and you don’t know what to do, and the advice you’re getting online simply isn’t helping, then there are professionals you can turn to for advice. When you’re buying supplies for your project, speak to the people in the hardware store. They will probably have a decent amount of know-how and will often be more than happy to guide you in the right direction, whether that’s towards the right tools or to show you exactly how to use them properly. Many home improvement stores even offer weekend classes. There’s nothing wrong with needing to ask for help now and then, if you let your pride get the best of you then you’re almost certainly going to end up making obvious, and potentially dangerous mistakes.
5. Learn to manage your time
One of the most significant things that a lot of people forget when they think about doing any kind of DIY project, and that’s the fact that many of them are going to take a pretty long time. If you can’t manage your time properly, then you could fall into the trap of starting projects and never finishing them. These projects just kind of end up in limbo where they’re never quite finished, but you refuse to admit that you’ve abandoned them. By being more disciplined about exactly how you’re spending your time you’re not only going to be able to keep on schedule with your projects, but it can prevent you from falling into the habit of starting another project before you’ve even finished the previous one. Having some kind of timetable to keep you on track and setting yourself a deadline can be fantastic ways to stop a project getting away from you.
Of course, one of the most important things to remember is that everyone has limits. You might feel great and want to try and fix everything in your home all by yourself, but if you try and take on more than you’re capable of, then you could end up making things worse. I have learned this the hard way! Remember to know your own limits and be willing to call in a professional every once in a while when a job seems too big or too complicated to handle yourself.
With spring coming everyone is thinking about home improvements and getting excited about a fresh home style. There are several DIY projects that will be going on here at the yellow brick home, I am looking forward to sharing them with you! I hope this post has inspired you to just go ahead and try a DIY home improvement project if you haven’t already. Hopefully these five easy steps to becoming a DIY expert will encourage you to try out your “fixer upper” dream project. Good Luck!
Amber
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