diditmyselfDIY - Intro

I have decided to write about my DIY experiences in the restoration of an older property.   Originally I had decided to take on some of the minor works myself for a variety of reasons.  The main ones being (besides the obvious satisfaction of contributing to the completion of your future home):

- difficulty in finding people to tackle small jobs

- cost / budget

- time

- knowledge about various tools and products needed for any specific job

- learning the skill

I am sure that there are many out there wanting to take on some works, however do not know where to start.

When we decided to embark on this restoration / conversion project our architect warned us that these houses tend to be like "opening a can of worms".

Prior to taking the plunge I spent countless hours on calculating potential costs on spreadsheet, and came to one conclusion.  Taking this project on meant rolling up my sleeves and doing all the minor jobs that I thought would be within my reach, such as sanding down apertures and beams and repainting, pulling out old tiles and possibly re pointing (tikhil) the whole place, that is after scraping down the walls which had numerous layers of paint, etc, etc, etc.

Now that the project is nearly over I can say that I have done much more than anticipated, however I have learnt that with some observation, patience, the Internet and the courage to take the plunge in trying a new skill, most of these projects are possible.  Purchasing proper tools is a necessity, however compared to the cost of hiring a professional these are minor.  Tools also make various processes easier and less time and energy consuming.  They also guarantee a better result.  Also the range available out there is impressive.  The money saved can be used in areas where you cannot possibly do yourself, are not willing to venture into or may require a licensed professional.  In my case this was plumbing, electrics, building, and parts of the glazing and apertures.

I will deal with all the areas I have learnt to work in, not necessarily in the order tackled during the project itself unless the work being described follows a sequence.  There will be a mention of generic products and tools.  The processes described may not always follow what is described in literature, however in my opinion there is no harm trying new approaches or ideas that come to mind provided that they are safe.  This is how innovation comes about.

Watch this space.

P.s.  Some friends and family still think that I was out of my mind.