Avoiding DIY disasters: Our top tips for handling household repairs

Whether you’ve recently moved into a new home or you’ve been putting off a few tasks, looming household repairs might feel daunting. Even though over eight in 10 British adults undertake painting and decorating and assemble furniture at home, not everyone shares the same confidence.

In this guide, we’ll outline the importance of keeping on top of household maintenance tasks before they cause more complicated issues. With just a bit of know-how, you can keep things running smoothly, all year round.

The right tools make the difference

Before you tackle any handiwork by yourself, it’s crucial to make sure that you have the correct tools for the job. Not only could this help to protect your home from accidental damage, but it could also stop you from accidentally hurting yourself, too. 

Consider investing in a good-quality set of tools to make sure that you’re prepared for every household task. High-quality tools and toolkits can come at a premium price point so it’s always worth thinking about your finances before choosing the right toolkit for your budget.

What are the benefits of DIY?

Everyone loves to save a bit of money and, luckily, learning how to tackle simple household repairs might be able to save you hundreds in the long run. Regular maintenance also reduces the chance of an issue worsening while you wait for the right time to call out a tradesperson.

DIY doesn’t have to mean getting stuck into longer projects every time – it can be as simple as knowing which checks to carry out and how regularly these should be done.

What are the most common household repairs?

Some of the maintenance issues most frequently resolved at home include:

• Blocked drains, with hot water and bleach
• Loose floorboards, fixed with a screwdriver
• Sticking doors, using oil or lubricant
• Power cuts, sorted by flicking a trip switch
• Broken toilet handles, repaired with a wrench
• Leaky under sink P-trap, requiring a three-way plumber’s wrench and replacement washer

Knowing when to call a professional

Even after learning a thing or two about DIY, it’s imperative to know when a project is too big for you to tackle by yourself. When it comes to larger repairs, you’ll need expert advice to make sure you’re not making the problem worse.

If the repair is for anything to do with your boiler or gas supply, it’s absolutely essential to find an engineer on the Gas Safe Register to complete the work safely.

The bottom line

Knowing how to complete small and simple household maintenance tasks could potentially save you a lot of money in the future. However, it’s crucial to make sure that you don’t attempt any larger renovation or repair tasks alone, particularly not on open wires or near gas lines.