Want to own a home in the near future? Then you’re going to need to brush up on your DIY skills. After all, if you have some basic skills under your belt, the world of homeownership isn’t going to be such a daunting prospect! And for those reading this who are in their 20s and want to get on the real estate ladder, this is the list for you. If you would love to know a bit more about conducting your own repairs (and saving some money as you go!), check out the tips down below. 

Some repairs are going to be quite dangerous. If a wire snaps and there’s still a live electrical current, for example. If you tried to repackage the wires in that state, you could end up in hospital with a pretty bad shock and/or electrical burn. As such, the most basic DIY tip we can offer you is to work out how to make a site safe before you do any work on it. Always turn off the power or the water if it’s still on, make sure no one else goes near the repair as you’re working on it, and have some PPE in the house to use to keep your hands, eyes, and ears safe. 

Another of the most basic DIY tips we should mention here, some home repair jobs cannot be managed by DIY methods alone. The job can sometimes work out to be too big, or too expensive to try and do so on your own. If you know someone who has more DIY skills, it’ll be good to ask their opinion, but calling out a tradesperson may end up being your only viable option. So, if the job seems too dangerous, or it’s going to be a lot of work, or you literally know nothing about the task at hand, get someone else involved who does know what they’re doing. 

Before you knock anything into a wall or the floor, you should check what’s under it to make sure you’re not going to hit or burst anything. This often involves using scanners like a stud detector or a pipe scanner, to make sure you’re knocking in a shelf in the right place or that you’re not going to apply new floorboards into the PVC piping within the foundation. Always carry out this task first before you do anything else, as an accident of this calibre can be very expensive to try and fix! 

The most common DIY task we all get on with, painting and wallpapering takes a bit of skill. The one thing to know? You can get very good at it as long as you’ve got enough paint or glue on the brush and you’re applying it in the same direction as every other stroke! 

Seeing as around 50 million people in the UK own a driving licence, it’s safe to say that owning a car is pretty common. As such, you should know how to diagnose car issues, which is key to staying safe and confident on the road. Even if you don’t know how to fix it, you should be able to pop the bonnet, look over the engine, and figure out what’s going on. This will allow you to spot when you’re being offered a subpar repair job, or when you’re being overcharged for work that didn’t need carrying out.  Start with the engine and the components it's made up of; if you know when a glow plug removal job will be needed, or when the head gasket needs pulling off and replacing, the check engine light on the dashboard will be far less scary! Look in your car manual to find out what’s specific to your make and model and go from there. Even just knowing when the engine oil or windscreen wash needs topping up will help you be a responsible driver! 

Repurposing items is a great life skill to have, and if you’re a new homeowner on a low budget, it’ll keep you out of home stores for at least a good few years. That old stool that you can’t sit on anymore? Turn it into a side table for your living room or bedroom - as long as it can hold the weight of a lamp and a coaster with a cup on, it’ll be perfect! Repurposing often involves applying small, strengthening fixes to pieces of furniture to ensure they can still be used, then applying a new coat of paint and/or reupholstering them for more comfortable use. 

The more you invest in your DIY skills, the more confident you’ll be when faced with a project. If the sink breaks, if the toilet needs unblocking, if you need to re-hang a door - these are all common repair jobs that can put a lot of people off. But if you’ve given yourself some time to crack together a bookcase or put up some shelves, tasks like these are going to feel a lot more approachable.  A bit of practice really does go a long way. You’re no longer going to panic over the idea of a burst pipe or replacing a bit of plaster in the wall. And sure, some jobs will need a professional to make sure they’re taken care of properly! But now you’re going to know the difference between a good repair investment and money you’re likely to waste calling someone out. 

How are Your DIY Skills?

If you’re a 20-something who wants to improve their basic DIY skills, make sure you’ve got the list above down to a fine art. It’s OK to need to call in a professional, but knowing when you need one and when you can manage a repair yourself is key to keeping homeownership affordable.