Let’s be honest guys; we all love the idea of being do it yourself geniuses around the home. Gender roles may have changed, but men still love to feel that they’re good with their toolkits. Call it a throwback from the days of cavemen and spears. Whatever the reason, nothing beats the feeling of having a toolbelt around your waist. Even if you don’t know how to use it, it looks the part.
But, how many of your home improvement projects have gone awry? If you’re anything like most of us, there have been a few disasters along the way. The trouble is, something comes over us when we have tools in our hands. We think we can tackle the most impossible DIY tasks. Of course, we can’t, and that pipe we’re attempting to fix soon starts gushing water like never before. As such, our efforts to save money actually end in more extreme and expensive repairs. It’s far from ideal.
But, we have good news for you. It’s possible our DIY disasters come about as a result of over complicating. In case you hadn’t realized, there’s still a lot of pressure on men to know how to do home improvements. And, we often fall into the trap of believing that we can. On top of which, we want to impress, and so opt for the most convoluted ways of doing things. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. We’ve all been there at some point.
But, there are a few simple ways around the problem. And, we’re going to discuss them here.
Always look for the easiest solution
First, overcome the over complication. It may not be ‘macho’, but simplifying tasks is the fastest way to getting them done, and doing it well. Never march into a DIY project wanting to prove a point. It’s a sure way to a long-winded project which ends in failure. Instead, do the wise thing and look for the easiest way around the issue. As an example, it’s worth accepting straight away that you probably won’t be able to install a wood burner. Instead, consider installing an electric fire which looks the part, and leaves no room for error. If you’re worried your alternative won’t provide as much heat, buy made to measure curtains online which are sure to increase the temperature by a few degrees. Or, if you’re installing flooring, ensure its cut to size before you get started. That way, you half the amount of work you have to do.
Are you sensing a pattern yet? There’s always an easy way around an issue. And, using it isn’t admitting defeat; it’s thinking outside the box!
Watch videos
This point goes back to the idea of men wanting to be DIY kings. How often have you rushed into a job without proper research? We’ve all done it at some point. Given it the old ‘That’s an easy task. I don’t need to find out how to do it.’. You probably don’t need us to tell you that it ends in disaster.
The stupid thing is, there are now videos guides for just about any DIY job going. And, by not watching them, we’re making things a hell of a lot harder than they need to be. Need to install a new toilet? Search how on YouTube. Need to make a table? Search how on YouTube. And so on, and so forth. If you want to keep your macho man reputation going, you can always watch videos in private. Then, you can WOW everyone with your insane skills.
Use what’s available to you
This sounds simple, and it is. So, why do so many of us fail to heed this advice? Say you want a new shelving unit. The first logical step is to head out and get some wood, right? No! Your first logical step would be to consider whether you have anything which could work. Do you have an old dining unit which could form the outline? Or, perhaps you have a shelving until which would work well with a lick of paint. It sounds painfully simple because it is. Seems a bit embarrassing that you were going to start from scratch now, doesn’t it?
Repurposing has become increasingly popular around the home, and for a good reason. Not only does this save money, but it also makes DIY jobs simpler than ever before. So, next time you have a project in mind, consider whether you have anything which would fit the bill.