1. Some top tips from the pros

2. We've been talking to the professionals and asking them to
contribute one tip they think would be useful to DIY-ers. Everyone
seemed to have something to offer, so here are the tips we
collected. We hope they're useful to you.
Always fully unravel an extension cable
No matter how long you need it to be, you should always fully
unravel your extension cables as they can get hot and melt. Not
only could you ruin your extension cable this way, but it could
cause a fire. I've known this happen several times during my
career as a builder so it's not a rare occurrence.
Look after your tools
Decent tools aren't cheap and I've learnt the hard way by ruining
plenty over the years! Always keep them clean, take extra time to
maintain them, spray hand tools with oil and wrap them in an oily
rag. Always know where they are, I've left several on site or left
them outside and they've been ruined. Have a designated tool
storage area for each job and you're less likely to use them or have
an accident tripping over them.

3. Finish one job before you start the next
It can be tempting to start a new job before another one is finished
but that way you can end up with a house that's full of half-
finished projects. Unless something is urgent, like a burst pipe or
something that's a potential fire hazard, make sure you finish one
job before you start the next or you'll end up with so many
unfinished jobs you won't feel like doing any of them.
Don't be scared to try DIY
Obviously some jobs need a professional, but for a small job like
putting up a shelf or tiling a small kitchen splash back, you really
can do as good a job yourself if you take your time and are careful
about it. At the end of the day, as long as you take the right safety
precautions there's not that much that can go wrong. If for
example your tiling turns out to be a disaster, as professional will
be able to put it right for you, but you'll most likely manage it
yourself anyway.

4. When it comes to materials don't buy too much or too little
Measure up carefully and calculate how much you need. Work out
how many rolls of wallpaper you need and how many tiles or litres
of paint, then double check! Buying too much is a waste of
money, buy too few and you could find the shop has no more left
when you go back. Don't forget to buy extra in case you make a
mistake. Cutting porcelain floor tiles for example can be tricky so
you should buy plenty extra so you can afford to make some
mistakes.
Buy decent power tools
You're often better off paying a little more for power tools. Cheap
tools just don't have the power and robustness needed. Spend a bit
more and look after them and they should last you a long time.

5. Plan and prepare
Don't start a job until you've fully planned it out and know exactly
what you're doing. You could easily make a mistake that would be
costly to put right, and you can easily injure yourself if you don't
know what you're doing. Time spent in preparation is time well
spent.
If you wish to find out more please see http://www.hss.com/