How do you get good at DIY? honest question - please be kind.

[verit]

We have never been confident in our abilities and so in the past have always hired professionals . This then becomes a vicious cycle - you don't learn because you've never done it etc. We now have fuck all money and a falling down house.
One job is to to repaint bubbling paint where we had some kind of leak - which has been fixed by a professional in our downstairs toilet, It's a small room and has a towel ladder in it and I am worried about making a massive bodge.

Watch videos on You Tube, ask questions and practise practise practise.

We started small, knew our boundaries and followed tutorials on YouTube. I’m still less confident than DH but he’s growing in his abilities. My dad is now able to help us a bit and so we can learn from him. FIL is not at all handy and I lived with my mum who didn’t have the money or time to do things properly so we always just sort of worked around it. All our knowledge has come from googling and YouTube, try something and learn as you go.

Definitely YouTube videos!! I learnt how to tile, grout, build a stud wall, render etc from it. It’s worth giving it a go.

Start with less visible jobs, practice, watch YouTube and ask friends and family for a hand.

Years ago the local tech college ran a DIY for beginners course it was basically free and was a great starting place. Have a look and see if there is anything around.

Practise, and not being frightened. One of our first diy jobs was to build a wooden workshop to replace our garage… we YouTubed videos, made plans, talked it through and had a go. We’d do it differently now but the original is standing and really good

YouTube, and also Google Screwfix Community forum for product recommendations

I heard about a diy training company where they actually come to you and take you through doing your own jobs. I’ll see if I can find the name

You don’t make mistakes. Instead you learn what doesn’t work.

Find an independent hardware shop and advice for recommendations. Big stores are fine but advice can be patchy.

If you think the job will take an hour, feel fine when it took 5 hours.

It’s tiring because you’re learning. But you get better and get so much satisfaction from it. If you don’t, you’ll appreciate the professionals so much more.

Definitely you tube videos watch a few then take your time .
Properly prepared area really makes the difference in finish .

YouTube. Start small and with fairly easy tasks and build up. We've almost entirely renovated our house ourselves over the years entirely on the back of YouTube. You get better and more confident with practice. Don't over face yourself with big jobs in one go. It will take you longer than a professional, just accept it as part of the learning process.

start small
youtube
chose materials wisely (read labels & reviews)

good luck!

Painting is all about preparation - eg cleaning (enough to remove grease and grime, not just a wipe) and sanding (well enough to create a surface the new paint can grab onto, not just a swipe of sandpaper).

The right products - a dedicated paint shop will give advice on the type of paint. Don’t go to a big chain like B&Q or somewhere staffed by students on holidays.

Equipment helps- eg brushes that aren’t so cheap they leave hairs in the paintwork. The right texture of roller (ask in the paint shop)

And be patient with yourself. Paint is great to start with because mistakes can be rectified. You’ll learn as you go along. But try and have a growth mindset, rather than looking for evidence that you’re useless,

once you get a bit of success under your belt you start to think “I’ll have a look” or “I’ll give it a go”. Sometimes you still need the professional and thats ok too.

YouTube and also look for local courses if you have a building college nearby. We have a place near us that recycles paint and they offer day courses in painting, wallpapering, plastering etc.

The Goodlife Centre in London have excellent courses. They also have some DIY ones online. https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/diy-workshops-london/

This is what I was looking for an episode of you and yours that focuses on home improvements. I’m sure one of the companies said that they did at home training:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00208cf

Great thread. I do all the DIY based on an interest mainly. I watched a load of you tube videos. It's allowed me to lay flooring, be able to install a sink, change taps, tile, fence the garden and make a built in cupboard. As someone said upthread it's doing it lots of times. I purchased tools to help me. A circular saw, which I hate using but it's pretty useful. Jigsaw, clamps. Pocket hole drill and screws, hand saw, long spirit level. All things I use a lot. I think it's a confidence thing a lot of the time. You have to go for it.

The more you do the more comfortable you will become with it. DH is good with DIY now, but wasn’t before but needs must. You need a good toolkit, and decent hammer drill.

You've had some good advice OP, but you will learn by doing. Just remember that preparation is usually the biggest part of any DIY project, particularly painting. Don't cheap out on paint or your equipment; decent paintbrushes will last a long time if you look after them, and will give a much better finish.Tape-up your ladder towel rail with masking tape/newspaper/plastic bags; anything to keep the paint off the rail while you're putting it on the wall. Don't expect to have the job done in an afternoon - slow and steady.

Good luck!

Find online tutorials and/or get a good DIY book.

You will build up skills and experience over time and eventually be able to take on more complex jobs. A good basic start is painting, filling cracks, and wallpapering.

I've been DIYing for over 30 years and have tried most things (except plastering and I don't touch plumbing).

I've recently 'fixed up' a crappy ceiling, hidden a fireplace and door, built floor to ceiling shelving from scratch, along with the more mundane painting and wallpapering. I can also change electric fixtures.

Good luck!

One job is to to repaint bubbling paint where we had some kind of leak. Forgot to say @verit

I have the same in my ensuite and keep putting it off. If it helps to say what I'm planning it might give you ideas.
I'm going to get up the step ladders, sand the old paint off. Then add a layer of primer designed to tolerate damp areas like bathrooms. Then I will paint over this with a bathroom paint usually a satin bathroom paint as will be wipeable. It helps to do something called cutting in which is using a paint brush to do the top, bottom and corners of walls. Then you can go in with a roller. Sometimes it's quite physical and to me that's the hardest part especially ceilings.

Oh, and one thing it took me a long time to learn is that the most important thing is preparation and repair - and finally the decorating.

If you spend adequate time on prep and repair you will get a good result.

You tube, forums and starting small, also I have a couple of friendly tradesmen who will tell me what to do.

For me there's 3 pillars of DOY Expertise.

Willingness
Teaching
Experience

If you're willing to try
You'll find a teacher
And gain experience.

If you're not willing.. like maybe you hate painting or papering etc, but you're doing it because you can't afford a pro.. it'll fail.
.if you've not been taught by YouTube or a professional or someone .ore experienced, itll fail.
If you've no experience and no willingness or a teacher ... Well, it'll fail spectacularly.

I despise decorating. I'm 45 and all the teaching and YouTubers in the world will never change that, so every attempt becomes a frustrating nightmare that I just want to end so I hurry and bodge it and then leave it half assed. I definitely lack the willingness.. 🤣

From observing my Dad he would get books from the library - I guess that has now turned into watching You Tube videos. I'm sure DIY books still exist though. Also there is a group on FB called Budget DIY - lots to learn there.

I generally find a job takes longer than I think and has to be properly planned but is worth the extra time to do it well.

Some things just get someone in to do it.

I think where You Tube is good is that you watch someone doing it, so it has the social proof element- they can do it, I can see myself doing it etc., which is great for overcoming confidence barriers. You still have to carefully plan though.