During Covid there was a pretty extreme lockdown in Ireland. Not able to leave your house or flat, you had two options, take the red or blue pill (if you are a Matrix fan).
I chose the red pill which in my case was to take up a hobby, Home DIY.
We had moved into a new house at the beginning of the lockdown and it needed a lot of attention. Tradesmen were like golddust and were impossible to get. I naturally turned to the Internet on my phone and Googling how to fix a sink, build a shelf, lay some tiles I was flooded with videos from tradesmen on youtube who made it all look super easy.
...
A couple of power tools later my house is full of holes, but I have gotten some skills and am getting better with each project.
This is the first post in a short series where I will share my experiences over the last two years and why I think some jobs should be left to the professionals but many jobs are very rewarding to try yourself.
I was very careful to only attempt projects which were low risk (to my health). Nothing dangerous with electrical wiring or high ladders etc. I also stayed away from doing things at the weekend and on Fridays in case I needed to call a plumber in an emergency.
I live near a tool hire shop and many hardware stores. I really have every tool at my disposal and I think the most important piece of advice I would give is to use the right tool for the job and let it do the work. It saves time and always gives a better finish to the job.
Did I mention you should use Power Tools. I last attempted DIY when I was in my teens and at the time had to mostly use hand tools. This time around I was largely using power tools and they make some difference.
The finish looks professional even with little skill, the tool does all the work.
Did I mention YouTube. I also had you tube at my disposal this time. There is a video for everything. Just google how to change a light bulb and there is a video for it.
Most trades involve apprecenticeships and specialist trades people pick up tricks over many years of work. If you make use of youtube you can learn a lot of secrets and tips for each specific task. Of course Youtube is no substitute for a skilled trades person however you might just learn enough to do a good enough specific job with a few 20 minute videos.
Youtube is vast but the more you watch the better the recommendations are but this is the list of my favourite youtubers for home DIY
Needless to say some of my projects worked out better than others. This post is the first in a series where I will go into depth on different projects and where I will chronicle what worked out for me and what I would recommend trying yourself and what I would leave to the professionals if I was doing it again.
The major projects I have undertaken which I found I got a big payback, decent results with little knowledge or skill and which I will cover in more detail in subsequent posts are:
The major projects I have undertaken which I would not recommend and need a professional
In the month of January I will follow up on this introduction post with some experiences from my home and share why I think certain projects can be tried yourself while others should be left to the professionals. Join me and please share your experiences in the comments.
This post is my daily contribution to a challenge by 
Who's Up For A January Writing Streak?
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Building photo created by freepik - www.freepik.com
