Sometimes you need a specialist.
Aussies love a little DIY, there’s no doubt about it. The sense of satisfaction gained from successfully completing a project on your own goes a long way.
But before you start ripping things out and firing up the power tools, make sure you are properly skilled to carry out the task. A botched job won’t just end in wounded pride, it could be dangerous and cost you double the price to fix.
Australians spend $3.53b a year to fix DIY jobs that have gone pear-shaped, according to research from Hipages — an online platform that connects consumers with tradies.
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Hipages chief customer officer Stuart Tucker said people were largely motivated to DIY to save money, but also to play a hands-on role in shaping the look of their home.
“We’re all very house proud,” he said. “However, a lack of knowledge about DIY projects is proving to be costly across the country.”
The research also found one in five homeowners said they had attempted a home repair or renovation that went wrong and required a qualified tradesperson to fix or re-do the job.
“It’s unsurprising that in the current economic climate, homeowners are searching for ways to save money,” Mr Tucker said. “Although we don’t discourage DIY, it’s important to know your limits.”
Definitely leave electricity to the experts.
When to steer clear
Registered builder Craig Millar, of Millar Projects, advised leaving projects that had anything to do with a home’s structure, water or power to an expert.
“These jobs require licensed tradespeople,” Mr Millar explained. “You wouldn’t have an accountant fix your car, but for some reason everyone with a nail bag thinks they can renovate a house.”
Always check with your local council to see whether the task required a planning and/or building permit, he added, as these would indicate a properly licensed professional was needed for the job. He also advised avoiding tasks that involved climbing a ladder.
“It just adds another layer of risk for those who are inexperienced,” he said.
Everyone can have a crack at painting.
Good projects to try
Mr Millar encouraged DIY-ers to start small and set themselves achievable goals.
Good projects for beginners included simple painting tasks, such as a front door.
Just-launched app Coloursmith by Taubmans lets budding renovators personalise their paint by simply taking photos of their dream colour on a smartphone camera.
TV star renovators Kyal and Kara suggested using the bespoke paint colours — which could be ordered online or mixed together at Bunnings — to create a feature wall, refresh a cubby house or decorate a piece of furniture.
These were all perfect tasks for novices, as were changing locks or cabinetry handles, swapping over a tap washer or even repairing a small hole in a plaster wall.
“Building apprentices start out with smaller tasks, so that’s how you should be looking at it,” Mr Millar said.
The Coloursmith by Taubmans app. Picture: Taubmans
He found one of the most common DIY mistakes was attempting to demolish or remove elements without understanding how they contributed to the sound structure of a home.
“I was at a job once where a previous owner had removed large amounts of stumps to create an under-house storage area and then later tried to rectify the mistake with some haphazard carpentry,” Mr Millar said.
“This move weakened the home’s foundations and cost the next owner in excess of $8000 to fix.”
Mr Tucker saw the garden as a good place to cut your teeth on a bit of DIY.
“Basic tasks such as building a vegie patch or painting the back fence will give you a great sense of satisfaction, but I wouldn’t be trying something advanced like laying turf,” he added.
Don’t be too hasty
A big misconception with DIY was believing you could get the same result as someone who was specially trained, Mr Millar said.
He also cautioned against estimating how long a project would take based on TV renovating shows.
“The projects you see on TV have been heavily edited to fit into the viewing time,” Mr Millar explained.
“You’re kidding yourself if you think you can renovate a bathroom in a weekend, because good work and good results take time.”
Never cut corners with preparation either, otherwise you could end up with paint that flakes, grout that breaks up or insufficient waterproofing.
Kyal and Kara Demmrich, from The Block. Real life home renos aren’t done so quickly. Picture: Facebook.
“A lot of people try to renovate their bathrooms themselves but don’t understand the requirements with waterproofing,” Mr Millar said. “Over time, you end up with a leaking shower or bath that can cause major damage and devalue your property.”
For those you had their heart set on DIY, Mr Tucker suggested talking to their tradie to see if there was any aspect of the job they could be part of.
“Have the tradie do most of the tricky and complicated things and then, perhaps, step in to help with finishing off,” he said.
For example, you might get a carpenter to build the deck and then you could give the surface a light sand and stain it.
“There is a sense of pride in a job well done, particularly when you’ve had a hand in it,” Mr Tucker said. “But just be realistic with your goals.”
The post Jobs you need a tradie for, can do yourself: How to avoid DIY disaster appeared first on realestate.com.au.