Do you feel like you’re always pay-ing out money for repairs on your home, or have you had workmen in to do a job and been disappointed with the results? This happens to so many of us so often, and these days when the cost of living is so high it’s no wonder more and more people are choosing to give DIY a go and are opting to do their own repairs and home improvements.

So why would you want to do your own home repairs? Well there is a wealth of reasons. Firstly it can be very cost effective. Hiring a profes-sional tradesman is expensive and they will usually charge you the same hourly rate regardless of the task they are undertaking, so even if they are doing a job that is simple to do, that you could easily do your-self, you’ll still be paying profession-al tradesman rates for it. Of course you’ll also have complete control over the job, so you won’t put the wrong colour bathroom wall tiles up or build a cupboard to the wrong dimensions; or if you do, you’ll only have yourself to blame!

You may also find it very rewarding. There’s nothing like finishing a DIY project and knowing you’ve done it all yourself. Especially when you get complements on it from your visi-tors!

So which DIY jobs should you tackle? Well you should put some thought into it, don’t take on anything too complicated to start with. DIY jobs nearly always end up being more difficult and taking more time than we think, regardless of what the task is, so do give yourself plenty of time and expect things to go wrong, it’s only normal. Patience is most defi-nitely a virtue when it comes to DIY. Use your common sense. Don’t at-tempt to work with gas or electricity, leave those jobs to the professionals, and know your limits. For example if you have a fear of heights then you shouldn’t be fixing your roof tiles!

There are plenty of jobs around the home that are easy to tackle though. Fitting bathroom wall tiles, minor plumbing jobs, putting up shelves and other carpentry tasks. Try some-thing small first. It’s good to build up

Why not try to do your own home improvements and repairs?

your confidence, or pick something that you can afford to get wrong. For example you could fit shelves in your shed or garage before you put them up in your living room. Practise makes perfect and the more often you do a job, the better you’ll get at it and your confidence will grow.

DIY does take time, but it will save you money and many people find it quite therapeutic, an escape from a hectic lifestyle or a busy desk job.

You will most likely discover that a lot of jobs are not as complicated as you might think. Jobs such as tiling can be done by total beginners and you can get a finish as good as any professional tiler will get for you. So next time you need a small repair or are planning home improvements, give a thought to any parts of the job you can do yourself.

If you wish to find the tools to kickstart your DIY project please visit: http://www.hss.com/