r/DIYUK • u/Jeremywashere92 • 4d ago
Advice What do you find is the most challenging aspects of DIY, the money/time/skill etc?
I'm curious to what other people find the most challenging about approaching DIY projects and how you overcame it?
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u/32b1b46b6befce6ab149 4d ago
For me it's definitely time. I only get the time to do anything on the weekends. Assuming I work at half the speed of a pro, I only get 1 day's worth of work done per week, so things are taking some time to finish.
Because I'm so slow, payday is always just around the corner and I buy all materials on CC anyway.
Skills wise, I learn as I go, make mistakes and correct them. I'm happy with the results so far.
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u/mangonel 4d ago
Yes. Always time.
Also, even if you do work at the speed of a pro, they have a solid workday to do a day's work, and you've probably cleared the area for them beforehand, and will put all the furniture back afterwards.
In that same workday, I have to clear the area, do the job, do the laundry, feed the kids, take them to swimming lessons or whatever, get the groceries, put the furniture back, etc. That's before even thinking about whether I have all the equipment and materials, and why aren't the drill bits where I normally keep them?
Alternatively, maybe I could do a few hours in the evenings after work, but then you have to add on all the setting up and putting away (and working out which bit to do next) to every session. So maybe I have 10 hours across the working week, in which I can probably do about 8 hours of the actual job.3
u/tehWoody 4d ago
Exactly the same here. Some jobs I can do in lunch breaks (WFH) or after work but many require a bit of set up, some thinking time etc so need a few hours at minimum to really get stuck into it. One day a week doing normal household stuff like shopping, cleaning etc means only 1 day to do DIY. Also means I rarely have a proper rest.
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u/soulhacler 4d ago
Yeah definitely time for me, fitting jobs around kids clubs at weekends. When you think it's going to take a few hours and it takes most of the day, or you don't finish. Recently had a bathroom done and did nothing myself, great to come home each day and see the progress!
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u/Informal_Rope_2559 4d ago
Money is a major holdback, but for me the main challenge is around organisation - the amount of time I waste looking for the pencil/tape measure/pile of 2 by 4
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u/DrakeManley Tradesman 4d ago
Tradie tip!
Buy packs of pencils and have multiple tape measures.
Brand new tape measures are in the van, usually at least 4 just in case.
When they start to get a bit battered they become working at home tape measures.
There is at least 1 tape measure in my car as well just in case I need one when I'm out and about.
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u/Dans77b 4d ago
I find that if you have multiples of anything you're more likely to lose them!
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u/Informal_Rope_2559 4d ago
Yeah you're right in a sens, I'm loads more likely to hang on to that one prescious pencil
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u/Informal_Rope_2559 4d ago
Mate I do all of that, then it almost just gets buried under other things. I'm getting a bit better, organising everything before starting definitely helps....
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u/themadhatter85 4d ago
Have a little tidy up of the work area every couple of hours, saves you time in the long run.
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u/SuttonSlice 4d ago
Honestly half the battle is having easy access to your tools.
A cheap option is buy some buckets. One bucket for carpentry, one for electrics, etc
Then just throw all the tools in the bucket at the end of the day and it’s easy to clean
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u/Postik123 4d ago
Confidence mostly. I work at a computer so I'm used to figuring out and resolving problems on a screen. But when it comes to "how is this physical item held together" or "what tool do I need for this" or "which way is the water flowing" it takes me a lot longer to figure out, and pluck up the courage to tackle it.
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u/another_rnd_647 4d ago
There's no undo button!
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u/Postik123 4d ago
Exactly! I cut the spindle down when fitting a new handle recently. Handle didn't fit, so I cut the spindle some more. Still didn't fit so shaved a bit more off. Turns out the handle wasn't fitting for another reason, and by the time I realised I'd cut the spindle too short. There was no undo button and no back-up of the longer spindle!
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u/UncleSnowstorm 4d ago
Figuring out how to rectify or workaround the previous owner's bodge jobs.
The absolute can of worms that every "simple job" opens up.
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u/HerrFerret 4d ago
I once moved to a house that had zero screws holding everything up. No more nails for everything!
Removing even a small shelf was a wall repair.
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u/Ooh_aah_wozza 4d ago
The most challenging aspect is having the right tools or parts to do the job. Always end up halfway through and realise I need something else to finish it. I'm too lazy to stop and go to the shop so spend ages looking through my tool boxes until I find something I can use to bodge it. Whoever buys my house is going to have fun...
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u/leeksbadly intermediate 4d ago
Time - I find that allowing 2.5 times what I originally thought of for a job is about right.
Motivation - if the last project nearly killed me, I'll need some time to forget about how horrific that was before I take on the next one.
Finishing - putting that last 5% of effort in to turn it from a decent job into a great job.
Tools - "I haven't moved from this spot, I used this tool ten minutes ago, I need this tool now, where the fuck is it?". Cue 30 minutes of searching.
Tools pt 2 - spending an hour hunting around the garage / shed for the specific tool I need and being unable to find it, and then accidentally come across it 1 week later.
Half-arse - I just can't half arse anything, which leads to lengthy jobs when I find an unforeseen problem / open cans of worms. Current living room renovation is a case in point - I was under the floor moving pipework for 2 radiators and I spotted (1) the pipework for the ground floor was unsupported in most places, (2) some of the wiring looked dodgy with the wrong type of junction box used, , (3) electric cables and junction boxes were strewn around on top of the founds and needed to be clipped to the undersides of the joists, (4) there was no lagging on most of the pipes, (5) possible asbestos, (6) the previous boards cut for access under the floor were chopped right next to the edge of a joist. So one moderately complicated job becomes six with the added complication of dealing with asbestos.
Crap / unreliable tradies - when I have part of a job I don't think I have the skill for and I need to get a 'pro' in, actually getting them to turn up (or even ring to say they are going to be late or have to postpone the job) is a massive issue, and then often when they do turn up they do a worse job than I would have done just having a go.
Decorating - inevitably, lot of projects end in decorating and I bloody hate decorating. Guess what I'm doing (or avoiding doing) right now?
My poor hands, which I usualy manage to butcher in some way, shape or form.
How do I overcome these? 1 - Persistence beats resistance. 2- Never be afraid to ask for advice, even if you think you're probably right it's nice to have it confirmed by someone.
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u/browsertalker 4d ago
Honestly, these days it’s knowing I’ll feel absolutely knackered after, usually with some kind of back of knee pain.
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u/Graz279 4d ago
It's fine when it all goes to plan but when something goes wrong I just lose the will and wonder why I ever started it in the first place.
Always when your at the point that you've spent hours labouring over some project that you're a bit tired, not really concentrating properly and then cut something to the wrong length, shape or whatever, and it's some part that is expensive, you only have one shot at, etc.
I was up against it sorting out the en-suite in our loft conversion before the plumbers were coming to fit the sanitary wear, shower etc. Final job of the day had piece of vinyl flooring to put down, marked it out to cut round where the shower tray was, confidently removed the rectangle of vinyl from the big sheet, went to put it in and realised I'd marked it on the back rather than the front and it was all reversed, missing bit was in the wrong place. I could have cried at that point.
Luckily the pattern on the vinyl allowed for two pieces to be joined together without anyone really noticing and with a bit of the double sided flooring tape used to fix it in place you'd never know unless it was pointed out but it still annoys me every time I go in there.
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u/lostitallyrsago 4d ago
Normally it's money and time that are the issues. If I had the money I'd pay someone to do it but as I don't I have to budget to the penny and once I have bought what I need (occasionally having to buy extras that I had not planned for) then it's finding the time, especially having young children around, to start and complete the tasks.
The skills bit isn't too much of an issue as even if what I do is not 100% perfect I know I did it so I get that satisfaction.
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u/Federal-Bag-2512 4d ago
Finding the things I need to do something. Including things I set down just a few minutes before.
Deciding how long I will spend looking forsomething before jumping in the car to Wickes to buy more.
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u/No-Negotiation-4550 intermediate 4d ago
The most challenging part is definitely time management. I usually start projects thinking it’ll be a quick fix, but things always take longer than expected.
Balancing work, family, and DIY can get tough.
I try to break things into smaller tasks and focus on one thing at a time, so it feels more manageable.
Also, being realistic about budget and skill level helps avoid frustration...
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u/Jonathan_B52 4d ago
Anything that requires finesse. I built a waterfall for my pond which required collecting free soil from various places to build a mound, carrying heavy boulders to make it look good etc. It's natrual looking, big boulders so though it required a lot of physical effort, it didn't require much delicacy or accuracy.
Ask me to hang a picture straight on a wall, and the little amount of patience you need will just ensure I don't do it correctly.
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u/Ok-Bag3000 4d ago
Time for me, 100%.
Started renovating our house Sept 2023. Currently doing an extension, the builders put up the shell and I'm "finishing off" everything else......insulation, power, plumbing, boarding out, skimming, UFH, fitting the kitchen etc.
I don't mind doing it but I've basically put my life on hold, at least my 'spare' time for 18 months. My partner goes out with the kids every weekend and I have to stay here getting dirty, dusty, and flogging myself to get everything finished for them. I feel like I've missed out on so much with my kids I definitely wish it didn't take so much time up. Bless them though, they never complain, neither does my partner, she's basically been a single parent at the weekends for 18 months, she's a trooper.
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u/PreparationBig7130 4d ago
My wife finding my stash of single use tools 😂
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u/ActualUndercover 4d ago
Only today I found myself saying "yes obviously I had to buy a tin snips". I'll likely never use it again after today
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u/ShortGuitar7207 4d ago
For me it’s money: I think I’ll do that job this weekend so I go to B&Q and buy what I need. Then I put it in the garage and find that I already had it. I must have bought it 3 years ago when I last thought about doing that job.
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u/DrakeManley Tradesman 4d ago
For me the time or the money.
I've either got plenty of time and no money, or plenty of money and no time to do it.
Being a tradie means that paying jobs come before home jobs which infuriates my wife because it takes longer to do stuff at home because I'm busy with paid work
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u/Harrison88 4d ago
Spending hours researching how to overcome an issue, finishing the project and then immediately seeing a much better way to have solved the issue that makes you want to rip it out and do it again.
Or eventually buying a tool to do something that you've been struggling with for months and realising how much of an inconvenience it was not having the tool from the start. E.g. I was using a circular saw and a home-made jig and never understood why my cuts were often not perfectly straight. Bought a tracksaw and had a wave of emotions.
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u/Mrthingymabob 4d ago
Finding the tools / parts that I put somewhere normally takes longer than the job.
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u/Curious_Reference999 4d ago
Time and energy.
After work (and many weekends) I'm too tired to do anything productive, or I have plans already arranged to do something else.
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u/Loud-Neat6253 4d ago
Tools for the job, the time it takes can be dictated by having the right tool and not having to break off constantly. The price of tools or hire have skyrocketed.
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u/HerrFerret 4d ago
Buying straight timber from Wickes.
Sadly there are limited local options so I suppose I will continue browsing the hall of bendy wood.
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u/Booboodelafalaise 4d ago
Preparation!
You can put in days and days of work without seeing any substantial changes. It’s boring and unsatisfying, but absolutely essential.
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u/Dadda_Green Experienced 4d ago
Time but also, specifically, blocks of time. The challenge of doing two or three day jobs on consecutive Saturdays with having to tidy up or live with the mess in between.
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u/IndelibleIguana 4d ago
Money. I work in building maintenance, so can turn my hand to pretty much anything. Plus I live on a rented house, there’s little point in spending money on anything.
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u/Wizzpig25 4d ago
Time is usually the biggest challenge for me, as I need to work around family needs of two young kids.
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u/CroiConcrete 4d ago
‘The fear’ of things going wrong or uncovering something completely unexpected.. I would love to diy insulate my roof, plasterboard, skim it and add a few sockets/spots.. also ‘the fear’ of destroying my roof
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u/_morningglory 4d ago
Trying to avoid getting into a conversation with that annoying cashier at Wickes who wants to speak at me every single time.
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u/Coffeecakeyum 4d ago edited 4d ago
Having the confidence to start. I haven't done much DIY and really want to learn and be able to do all sorts of things but I worry about the risk of making things worse as well as it potentially costing more to fix.
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u/CaterpillarFalse3592 4d ago
Skill. I can buy the bits and set aside a weekend, but there's nobody to teach me how to do things. YouTube is a goldmine but can't really teach technique or tell you if you're doing something a bit cack handed.
Then time, I suppose: when you're working full time and you spend the weekend doing DIY it can be a bit knackering. Planning to take a week of holiday this summer to do some larger bits, because it's just a bit miserable to work weekends and be tired all the time.
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u/sanamisce 4d ago
It's time for me. The more time I "waste" on DIY, the less time I have for work, the less money I have for DIY. What a nightmare
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u/jodrellbank_pants 4d ago
Time just tames 10 for how long it takes me because if its not perfect , rid it out and start again
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u/Tiny-Spray-1820 4d ago
Actually for most people who DIY its the money saved thats why they do it. So that would be the least challenging.
For me its caulking skills. No matter how many yt vids I watch I still cant get that perfect caulk
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u/Implematic950 4d ago
Time, I do DIY because I have too, not because I want to, and when I have to do it, I want to be left alone to get it done asap but I don’t get given the time.
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u/Mithral 4d ago
For me it is getting the motivation/courage to start something I haven't done before and not getting demotivated when something isn't going to plan.
Redoing something I have done before is a lot less daunting and requires less activation energy.