News

(Cover image by Tim Regan. https://www.flickr.com/photos/dumbledad/)

Do-it-yourself solutions have grown increasingly popular in recent years, and not just with regard to decorating and general refurbishments around the home. More and more people are looking to fix appliances themselves rather than call in a professional or go to the expense of replacing the item entirely.

There are several reasons why this approach is becoming so popular:

 

• Saving Money. Perhaps the most obvious reason, as even a minor repair can work out to be expensive. Something that is very quick and simple to fix, even without any specialist equipment or replacement parts, will invariably require a call out fee as a minimum. Given the recent economic crisis and the impact this has had on the cost of living, it is not surprising people are trying to do their own repairs and save themselves some money in the process.

• Increased Confidence. The growth in popularity of do-it-yourself television programmes and online guides has made it easier than ever for people to self-diagnose technical problems, and this has coincided with do it yourself superstores making access to equipment and parts for the general public a lot simpler. In general, people today feel a lot more confident about carrying out repairs that only a generation or so ago would have always been left to a professional.

• Personal Satisfaction. Saving some money can actually be a fairly minor advantage compared to the sense of pride that comes from having fixed something oneself. It feels great to know that something works because of your own personal competence, and this is coupled with the additional confidence that comes from knowing the work has been done to the level of quality that you are happy with.

 

Safety First

It is crucial that safety be a primary consideration with any do-it-yourself job. To fix appliances may save money and be personally satisfying, but this will count for very little if you injure yourself in the process. Always think carefully about what the work involves and research it properly so that you fully understand all of the risks and take all the steps necessary to avoid them.

What jobs should you attempt?

Many people are comfortable with minor jobs such as replacing light bulbs in a fridge or oven. To fix a washing machine, which is a fairly complex appliance, is slightly more intimidating, but many people can consider carrying out certain repairs to a machine themselves. Renewing seals on a washing machine door, for example, or investigating possible causes of unwanted smells are both things that potentially require very little effort and only a small amount of skill.

A basic rule of thumb is that as soon as serious doubt starts to creep in, that is the time to enlist the services of a professional as poorly carried out repairs can work out far more expensive in the long run.

Ultimately, it is all about confidence, so an individual should ensure they are totally comfortable before carrying out any do-it-yourself job through thorough research and careful consideration of all elements.

Back to News