How Do You Save Money On Doing Your Own DIY?

So, you need to put your latest piece of flat-pack furniture together, or, your daughter asks you to fix her bike, those shelves really need to be put up this weekend.

Of course, you have all the tools you need to do these jobs, don’t you?

These days, we have found that it is almost unknown for many people to have even a basic toolbox, let alone a well-equipped one.  Nevertheless, owning the right tools (and a little know-how) will allow you to tackle household problems, and save you a fortune in handymen.

Clearly, we don’t want to do ourselves out of a job, but, when we get called out to change a few light-bulbs, we do begin to wonder.

It’s a good idea to have some tools at home, put away somewhere you can easily find them, that will let you do those simple jobs.  And while it may seem to be counter-intuitive to tell you to buy the best you can, that investment will last you a life-time.  Actually, we are still using tools originally bought, many decades ago, by our own DIY-ing dad’s.

It’s easy to go down to your local DIY “shed” and buy a 150-piece tool-kit, most likely made in China, for about a tenner.  While these might look like good value for money initially, remember your grandma’s old saying about “buy cheap, buy twice”?  Well, granny knew a thing, or two.  That tenner’s worth of tools won’t last more than a few uses before they fall apart, or disintegrate in some way.

Invest your hard-earned dosh into quality, durable tools and they really will out-last you, and you can leave them to your children too, like our dad’s did.  Look for forged metal, look for good handles, chose a brand that comes with that lifetime warranty.  And then look after them.  Remember to spray your garden fork, or spade, with a good quality water repellent, clean those brushes immediately you’ve finished using them and put your tools away somewhere that’s not damp.

Let your tools (be they hand tools or power tools) serve you forever.

This handy tip was bought to you by Paul Raubusch, the Ace Handyman.  You can contact him on ace.handyman@yahoo.co.uk or 07786 565150 or www.acehandymanservices.co.uk.

If you want to learn how to do your own DIY, log onto our sister website www.acehandymantraining.co.uk to get more details of our courses.