6 Tips For Improving Your DIY Skills

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There are so many reasons to want to improve your DIY skills. For a start, it gives you more control over your home and everything in it. If something breaks down or stops working, equipping yourself with a few basic skills will enable you to fix it yourself and move on with your life right away. As well as giving the satisfaction of a job well done, it will also save you money as you won’t need to call in a professional to do it for you.

But what if you have no idea what you’re doing? It is perfectly possible to get through life without any DIY skills whatsoever. Simply call in a builder or carpenter when home repairs are needed, but you only need a small amount of knowledge to get by. So if you don’t know a ball pein hammer from a Phillips head screwdriver, here are five tips to start improving your DIY knowledge today.

Start with the basics

The best way to learn any new skill is to start simple then work your way up to more complicated techniques. Small fixes around your home are the best way to acquire skills and get more comfortable with different tools and techniques. Begin by bleeding your radiators, replacing a lightbulb, or putting up a small shelf. The confidence you gain from successfully tackling these minor repairs will motivate you to learn how to do the bigger jobs. Even more extensive projects can be made more simple for a beginner. For example, if you want to build a porch by your front door, rather than starting from scratch you could simply order one of these oak framed porch kits and assemble the supplied materials according to the instructions. 

Get the best tools

You can’t become a DIY expert without a good selection of quality tools. Most seasoned professionals will have acquired a huge garage full of tools over a lifetime of carrying out repairs, but there are only a few essential items you’ll need to get started. A screwdriver with a range of heads is paramount, as well as a hammer, tape measure, and a sturdy pair of pliers. These will be enough to complete the majority of household tasks, and anything else you might require later on you can pick up from your local hardware store when the need arises.

Watch videos

There are so many YouTube tutorials online, that anyone who wants to could become a DIY master. Whenever a DIY job arises in your home that you don’t know how to fix, type your query into your search engine and there will be a huge range of instructional videos to walk you through every step of the process. Eventually, you’ll be so knowledgeable you won’t even need the videos!

Take a course

Another great way to learn a new skill is to take a course. You might not think there would be many courses in DIY and home improvements but there are plenty available for people just like you, looking to increase their knowledge and enhance their abilities. There are online home maintenance workshops or more extensive in-person classes on subjects like power tools and carpentry. 

Talk to others

Do you know someone who is handy around the house? Perhaps one of your parents or a close friend? If so, they probably won;t mind if you use them as a source of advice. Ask them about the best tools to use, techniques, and any other queries that come to mind. If you have a job that needs doing at home, why not invite them round and ask them if they wouldn’t mind showing you how to fix it. People pick up skills a lot quicker when watching someone else, so this is a great way to enhance your skill set. Eventually, once you have become an expert yourself, you can pass on the favor and teach someone else the knowledge you have picked up.

Be patient

DIY is a complicated business, with so many different tricks and techniques to get your head around. It can take a long time to become truly proficient so don’t expect it to happen overnight. Be patient and be prepared to take it slow, and make sure you celebrate every small win you achieve and each new skill you pick up. You will no doubt make mistakes along the way, but rather than getting yourself down, use these as learning opportunities to improve your abilities. Eventually, you will be knowledgeable enough to call yourself a DIY expert.

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