DIY For Beginners: How To Get Started

250
DIY For Beginners: How To Get Started
DIY For Beginners: How To Get Started

Last Updated on March 18, 2016

If you’ve just moved into your first home or fixing it up to attract buyers, you’ve probably started thinking about doing some DIY. From assembling flat pack furniture to repairing floorboards and walls, there’s a whole host thing you can do to improve your home with DIY. It’s a creative process, but can also be terrifying if you’ve never done anything like this before. So to overcome your fear, take a look at these tips for DIY beginners and become a pro in no time.

Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 6.52.11 PM

Flickr

Try something small

While you might be itching to start going larger and more complicated DIY tasks, starting small is the best way to begin. If you start with something too difficult and fail, it could put you off for life. So pick a small project or task to help you build up your skills and confidence. Think of things that are inexpensive and take little time to accomplish. Things, like painting a piece of furniture or replacing a light fixture, are ideal. These projects may seem minor but they will show you how you like to work and build up your skills for larger more advanced DIY tasks. Think about things you enjoy doing and that suit your current skills to help you decide.

Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 6.52.25 PM

Flickr

Don’t progress until you are ready

If you feel ready to advance, then do it. Use the skills you’ve gained from the smaller DIY tasks you’ve accomplished and push yourself to try something more complex. You could try installing a true union ball valve to your kitchen pipes or add insulation to your attic. But if you still aren’t ready to move onto something more challenging or feel anxious about making significant changes to your home, don’t. Some will take to DIY more naturally than others, and it could take time to get into the swing of it. So look for smaller projects that you feel comfortable completing and don’t move on until you are ready.

Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 6.52.39 PM

Image

Give yourself a break

When you’re starting your DIY journey, you will make mistakes frequently. You might use the wrong paint or use an incorrect screw. But it’s important to remember that this is all part of the process. Even the most expert DIYers will make mistakes from time to time. So if you make a mistake, don’t beat yourself up over it. These things happen, and as long as you don’t need to bulldoze your house to fix it, there’s no harm done. You’re never going to become an expert overnight, so if something doesn’t go quite right, don’t worry. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you think you need it. It could be a friendly neighbour, a hardware store owner or someone on a forum. Nobody wants to see you struggle and will be happy to help you reach your end goal.

DIY doesn’t have to be scary. You just have to have to confidence to give things a try and see what happens. Sometimes it may work and other times it may not. Use it as a learning process and know that the more you do it, the better and more confident you will become.