When surveyed about which skills most homeowners wish they’d had, the top five all encompassed some form of DIY ability. From hanging pictures to cleaning gutters, every homeowner should have at least a few basic DIY skills. Not only will this put you in more control over your living area, but it will also save you money and rolled eyes when calling out ‘the guy’, for something that could have taken you 5 minutes to do.
But, for those who are a little further down the DIY pathway to homeowners bliss, you’ll know that for every successful DIY task, there is equally a required set of skills and tools that make your life worth living, and we’ve narrowed down a few of the projects and tools that you should be able to complete around your home and keep in your workshop to make them happen. So, abandon your Cosplay for a minute, and let’s get cracking!
BASIC PROJECTS AROUND THE HOUSE
Picture hanging. Now look, not everyone enjoys the same level of aptitude or skill when it comes to doing things around the house, so if you’re making the move to becoming more independent around the house, believe it or not, a good place to start – is by learning to hang pictures properly. You’ll learn spatial reasoning, how to hammer without breaking down a wall, and how to ensure a straight line. There’s a video guide, here.
Cleaning gutters. It’s laborious and unlikely to crack the list of the top fifty things you want to do today, but they do have to be done. Clogged gutters can trap rotting leaves (and heaven knows what else), get heavy, and cause much bigger damage later on.
Resetting your circuit breaker. Your house is probably fitted with a ‘mains’ circuit breaker which supplies power to appliances in every room throughout your main house, if you have a home by a lake or in the mountains with an outside area like a pool house or boathouse, you may have another there too. If you overload your circuits, your power will trip, and in most cases, this can be solved by simply resetting the circuit breaker and moving the switches back to the ‘on’ position.
THE ESSENTIAL TOOLKIT FOR BUDDING DIY ENTHUSIASTS
Every budding enthusiast needs these ten tools in their kit, and depending on the skill you already have you can adjust the sophistication of these tools accordingly.
To start your toolkit, you’ll need A hammer, hacksaw, flathead screwdriver, a screwdriver set, a wood saw, a power drill, safety goggles, a ladder, a spirit level, and a torch – and to complete it all, a pair of really good jeans that your toolbelt can hangover and look really cool.
NEXT LEVEL DIY
Once you’ve started getting a handle on it all and when you decide that you really do ‘got this’ and your tasks become more sophisticated, you’ll be needing next-level tools to help get you there. So if you’re planning on doing some building you’ll be wanting a surface grinding machine (perfect for when you’re wanting to create precision work at home or on a building site), and for more precision work around the home, you’ll want a strap wrench, reverse-action pliers, universal sockets, contour gauges, and multitools.
But, remember that while you’re out there upskilling and getting DIY smart, stay safe and ask for the help that you need.