New homeowner - info on diy/energy/garden all things house related

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settlement

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Hi all, it looks like ill buy a house soon. I've always been pretty usage with diy and dont understand about boilers/heating systems/showers/ how a house works in general, but now I need to know.
What are the best podcasts/videos/articles to start learning? Or even books.
I want to run a cheap and energy efficient house and take pleasure in fixing things myself
 
on Youtube: Gosforth Handyman, Rag and Bone Brown, Badger workshop, Carpenter's Daughter
Start with small projects and work up. Leave plumbing until you get more experienced and electrics to the professionals always.
 
When I got my first house 30odd yrs ago my father gave me the Readers Digest DIY Manual, now obviously that was pre 'look up youtube' days but it was very useful over the years and I learned a lot of what I know about DIY from that book! So if you like books and it's still around it could be a handy one to have around just for reference.

He also gave me a Black and Decker workmate bench thing which I still use and his old drill again still in use, as soon as cordless stuff was around I got a present of a cordless screwdriver and he was always picking up random bits of tools for me so gather together a fairly basic toolbox initially. Don't lose the run of yourself in the middle aisle!
 
Monbretia said:
Don't lose the run of yourself in the middle aisle!
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I still have some stuff in the original packaging during my enthusiastic DIY days when fixing things around the house. Sometimes it's a case of "I might need it..."

@settlement - congrats on the upcoming new purchase, assume it's not a new build that you are getting. Just be careful what you take on, sometimes you do need the correct person / tool for the job as @DannyBoyD mentioned above! Having said that, don't be afraid of things, just do some research before hand and don't take too much on at once. Best of luck with everything...
 
Are you still looking or do you have a house lined up? If buying an older property, take a look at this guide to the common house types in Ireland and review the upgrade options.

I'd advise spending some time working out your long term goals and then try to plan work to that. For instance, don't spend lots of money on flooring only to have to rip it all out a couple of years later to accommodate a change in layout.

Try not to take on too much at once also, it can be very easy to end up with multiple jobs on the go and nothing getting finished.

YouTube is a super resource, I wish it was around when I first bought. I learned a lot from DIYNot and other such forums but it's super to be able to see someone doing things like plastering rather than just relying on descriptions. I also learned a lot from just trying things and making mistakes. Also beware the middle aisle temptation, sometimes a quality tool in inexperienced hands will turn out far better results than a cheap one.
 
DannyBoyD said:
on Youtube: Gosforth Handyman, Rag and Bone Brown, Badger workshop, Carpenter's Daughter
Start with small projects and work up. Leave plumbing until you get more experienced and electrics to the professionals always.
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Great, i think youtube will be very handy for me. Noted re plumbing and electrics
I like the idea of a manual to dip into. I have never used a drill yet so that tells you how basic i am at the moment
Haven't bought yet but almost certainly won't be a new build
still looking but everything is finally lined up for me financially, mortgage etc so hoping to buy soon but will use the intervening time to study up. I just flicked through that guide and it looks brilliant! thank you. I will have to think about working out my long term hoals with a house, unsure how to think ahout this to be honest. would it be something like 'i definitely want wooden floorboards' or 'i will definitely do an extension' or 'i will have 3 kids and so i need extra bedrooms' or 'i will run on all renewables' etc
 
settlement said:
I like the idea of a manual to dip into. I have never used a drill yet so that tells you how basic i am at the moment
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It is nice and gives a good overview of lots of things, I learned a lot about hinges for example and what sort of hinge to use in different situations, good explanation too of timber types to mention just a couple of things, it's full of info. Internet is great for specifics if you want to find out how to do a specific job, that manual taught me a lot of the basics so at least I knew what I was looking for when going into a shop.

Re the drill, my fathers one was all I had for years, now I have 2 more cordless ones, several saws and way too much stuff really! However there are very few jobs I can't tackle myself at this stage short of anything requiring a ladder, I don't go up ladders! I have just completed a radiator cabinet for my daughter and put up two shelves yesterday, roofed an alcove outside few weeks ago so that I could store more logs for the fire. All the little jobs that you'd have to find a handy man/woman for.
 
settlement said:
would it be something like 'i definitely want wooden floorboards' or 'i will definitely do an extension' or 'i will have 3 kids and so i need extra bedrooms' or 'i will run on all renewables' etc
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It think it's more look at the structural elements first, what level of insulation / energy efficiency would you like to get to. Disruptive things like insulation, upgrading or replacing heating and plumbing are better done before you go putting lots of time and money into decorative elements.

But I suppose don't over-think it either, if you do need more space with the arrival of kids, you can always move.
 
Doing trojan work by the sounds of it!
Ah yes I see how if i decorate the place and then realise it needs an overhaul it will have been for nothing
 
With all The excitement of buying a house the only suggestion I would give is live in the space before you pull the trigger on any major work....understand the spaces you are trying to improve.

Some ideas are no Brainers, some get refined, some get canned...and then there is budget!

Basic tool kit that will get you out of most holes:
  1. Hammer
  2. Saw
  3. Philips and flat head screwdriver
  4. 10, 13, 15 spanner
  5. Vice grip
  6. Battery Drill with hammer action (for drilling holes in concrete walls) (not a hammer drill...thats a different bit of kit altogether)
  7. Assorted box of drill bits
  8. 7 or 8m Measuring tape (never long enough)
Aldi/Lidl brands will do perfect.
Everything else you will gather in time!
 
settlement said:
Ah yes I see how if i decorate the place and then realise it needs an overhaul it will have been for nothing
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That's it exactly, it can be tempting to take on more visible decorative work only to later realise you will have to re-do it to address some other priority.
 
I would echo a lot of the suggestinons above. A few other things to keep in mind would be:

Friends & Family: there is usually someone in your circle that has done what you want to do so lean on them for advice or a bit of help

Safety: Of all the things & tools you can buy, make sure you buy a decent pair of safety glasses and gloves. I would also suggest a pair of work boots. And the best thing I have ever bought was a pair of workpants with kneepads. You'd be amazed how long you spend on your knees

Don't be afraid to pay for quality. I am pretty self sufficient but I don't do DIY to save money (it's a perk), I do it because I am good at it and I enjoy it. But if I feel I can get a better job done then I will happily pay for it. An example being our flooring downstairs. We have a line of sight from the front door right thorugh to the sun room at the back and we wanted to lay continous laminate flooring through all of it with no breaks or door saddles. Any small errors in setting up would look terrible and would bug me every time I would look at it so I got a carpenter to do it. He spent nearly 2 hours setting up getting his lines right and making sure he wasn't going to run into issues at various doors and corners so I was happy to have used him in the end. I did however floor the upstairs bedrooms because it was much more stright forward

Leo said:
Also beware the middle aisle temptation, sometimes a quality tool in inexperienced hands will turn out far better results than a cheap one.
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This is probably the most important bit of advice. If you are going to take on a big DIY job like tiling or flooring, it is easy to pick up a cheap tool thinking you will always have it for the next time. But often it is much better to hire the right tools for a couple of days and get the job done well and quickly. You also don't have to worry about storing all the equipment

settlement said:
I have never used a drill yet so
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This isn't a problem but just make sure the first time you use it isn't on a wall that you will be looking at for the next 10 years. Buy a lump of timber to practice on to get familiar with the tool. And then when you want to commit to using it, try an inconspicous wall first, e.g. hang a shelf in the utility or hot press where you won't see the mistake if you make one.
 
I would normally say, "Buy cheap, Buy twice!". But when getting some tools, I have found the Aldi, Lidl stuff has worked great for me - and if i get to the stage when i have worn out a tool and need to get a new one, it shows that I have used it enough to warrant investing in a decent one.
 
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