5 Brilliant Home Repair Tips

With the present slump in the housing market and foreign holidays becoming more expensive many people are investing money in their own homes. Whether it’s for home repairs or larger scale home improvements people will benefit from enjoying a more polished home whilst also increasing its value.

There has also been an increase in people making use of their gardens to grow vegetables or to use their roofs to install solar panels which again means that your home not only has added value, but over time is actually creating value! Home improvements can offset the cost of any home repairs which, unfortunately, need to be carried out on a regular basis.

So if you feel you’re up to the challenge, have recently acquired a great DIY book and have a back-up handyman as a friend (purely for back up!) then read below to see what steps you should take:

Snag List – With all Home Repairs it pays to plan ahead so the first thing you need to do is to make a full “snag list” for the entire home and garden. Maybe it’s touching up the paintwork in the hall, replacing an old skirting board, fixing a faulty socket, fixing a leaky tap or mending a broken fence. Some jobs can be quite big and others quite small, but don’t worry about that just make a full list of everything. Once you have a full list you can then begin to decide what’s most important.

Prioritise – Prioritising your jobs is the next most important step, so once you have the full snag list in your hand think about what’s most critical. For example if it’s nearing Christmas it would definitely make more sense to fix a leaking tap rather than mend a broken fence at the end of the garden – which will more than likely be covered in snow – by the time Christmas arrives! So think about what needs to be done, talk to family members, look at your budget and then put a corresponding number beside each job!

Materials – OK so now you have your full job list, and you know what jobs you want to do next, but what about the materials? Many jobs around the house like doing a paint touch up, may already have the existing supplies in the garage or attic. So take an inventory of what you have, there’s no point in buying things you already own! After that you may need to buy something, for example if you’re replacing an old floorboard or door handle you may need to go to your local hardware to buy the necessary materials.

Advice – As mentioned above its always great to have a recommended DIY book to hand but there are always some questions that only someone with experience can answer. You may have a neighbour who is quite handy, or you may have a handyman friend who you can phone but at the very least your local hardware store should always be able to give advice on a whole range of things. In fact the local hardware store is always more willing and able to offer advice than the larger depot stores, and for that reason alone we would always recommend them.

Reward – Lastly one of the great things about doing DIY and performing Home Repair jobs is the gratification you and your family will receive when finished. But also try to get other family members involved as the old saying goes “many hands make light work!” has never been more true. And it’s also a great way for children to learn about the importance of maintaining a great home whilst having some fun!