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DIY or not to DIY

Doing it yourself is cheaper, a lot cheaper, than hiring a tradesperson but if you are inexperienced, don't really enjoy the work, or able to do something else with your time that is more constructive or profitable, then perhaps you should "give it a miss". If this is not the case then read on. The following text contains a list of links to relevant Australian web sites that we believe might be helpful.

DIY online resources

Articles from the Australian Home Design Directory

Frequently asked questions. Answers questions like: "What will it cost?", "What council fees are there?".

Owner-building. DIY home construction, learn what it takes.

DIY home design. Learn how to design your own home.

Construction cost calculator. Estimate what it will cost to build before you get into too much detail.

DIY deck Learn how to build your own deck.

DIY kitchen. Learn how to design your own kitchen.

Kitchen cost calculator. Estimate what it will cost to build or renovate a kitchen.

DIY bathroom. Learn how to renovate your own bathroom.

DIY floor tiling. With a bit of practice and patience floor tiling is something you can do yourself to save money.

Bathroom cost calculator. Estimate what it will cost to build or renovate a bathroom.

DIY interior design. Learn how easy it is to create great looking interior spaces.

How to read plans. Learn how to read construction diagrams.

Design tips. Miscellaneous design tips.

DIY home design. Learn how to design your own house.

DIY your home office. Learn how to set-up your home office the right way

DIY wallpaper. Learn all about wallpaper - including installation.

DIY house inspection. DIY your own building inspection for a potential new home.

DIY retaining walls. Willing to do some digging and lifting? Then this is manageable DIY project.

Wall decals. Install your own removable wall decals - its much easier than wallpaper.

DIY timber steps. There is often a need for steps as an access to a deck or for use between decks with different levels. A basic open stairway consists of the two stringers and two or more treads. The supporting members of a stair are the stringers. These are used in pairs spaced one metre apart (approximatly)...

Repairing holes in plaster. One of the common problems people undertaking a home DIY project will encounter is repairing holes in plaster. But repairing them is suprisingly easy...

Laying carpet. This article describes the procedures for installing your own carpet.

DIY attached carport. Save money and learn how to build your own attached carport.

DIY paving. Lay your own pavers - 4 easy steps.

Timber floor repairs. Learn how to repair timber floors.

The DIYers toolkit essentials. This article outlines the DIYers toolkit essentials as well as provides a short guide to buying tools.

Cost effective DIY fencing. Learn how a typical backyard fence is constructed. Includes information for traditional timber paling, tubular fencing and rendered panel fencing.

Articles from Home I Own

Comfort of your home. This article is about a new home for a new family.

Cost of demolishing a house. Explains all the costs involved in a demolition job.

Building a house from concrete blocks. The advantages of using this inexpensive construction material.

DIY info from Bunnings Warehouse and Mitre 10

The two largest Australian home hardware retailers have a lot of online DIY material. Here are the links to their respective DIY web pages:

Bunnings DIY brochures

Mitre 10 DIY central

Videos from YouTube

Go to YouTube.com and type in the search term "DIY home improvements" (for example) and you will find many short (and often helpful) instructional videos. A good example is this video: Taping and Mudding Drywall (Drywall is called Gyprock in Australia).