20 easy DIY jobs that will save you thousands

Here's how much money you can save by getting your hands dirty

For homeowners, the to-do list of projects very rarely gets shorter. Whether you've just moved into a new place or you're looking to refresh the space you already have, the cost of materials and hiring a professional to help you do the job can soon spiral.

From giving your old splashback a makeover to sprucing up your garden, these DIY projects are easy enough to tackle yourself and could save you thousands. So, roll up your sleeves and read on to discover the tasks that could save you money and transform your home...

Paint the front door

Did you know that a new front door can cost, on average, between £340 and £2,325, according to Greenmatch? Then, if you need to pay someone to install it for you (which is always recommended for safety and security reasons), you're looking at an additional £840 to £4,325. Staggering, isn't it?

If your front door is spoiling your kerb appeal, it might be time to repaint it. This guide from the experts at Valspar Paints will show you how. Just make sure you buy exterior wood paint, that's designed to endure constant exposure to the weather.

Fix, fill and prep walls for painting

If you're looking to repaint your walls but they're showing signs of wear and tear – chips, cracks or holes – then they'll need to be fixed in advance. You could hire a professional to re-skim your room, which involves adding a thin, final layer of plaster to surfaces for a smooth finish, but it won't be cheap. Checkatrade suggests re-skimming a medium-sized room usually costs around £480.

However, filling and smoothing walls is actually a fairly easy DIY job and limited tools, such as a plastering trowel, filler knife and sandpaper, make it an affordable one, too.

Repair wallpaper

Have you noticed some of your wallpaper is starting to look a little worse for wear? Perhaps the joins are starting to curl, sections are beginning to peel or tears have cropped up. Instead of hiring a trade to repair any wallpaper problems or starting from scratch, grab your apron and tackle the job yourself.

Hiring someone to re-wallpaper could cost you £14 per m2 in labour alone, according to Checkatrade, so that could soon add up if you have more than one room to sort. WikiHow explains the process of repairing wallpaper and it's surprisingly simple!

Stencil floor tiles

If your bathroom or kitchen floor is starting to look shabby or feel old-fashioned, you might be considering ripping it out and laying new tiles. Well, according to Checkatrade, the overall cost to tile a floor is £110 per m2, which includes the materials and labour. "If you are planning on tiling a kitchen floor, be prepared to spend around £800," it advises.

A fantastic alternative to starting from scratch is giving your current tiling a facelift. You can buy tile stencils online from sites like Etsy. You'll need to prep your floor and use a good quality flat sheen base coat paint. "Any good latex or acrylic wall paint will do," Cutting Edge Stencils says. "Durability is achieved when you prime your tile floor with adhesive primer."

Hang new doors

According to HaMuch, the average cost of hiring someone to hang a door is between £50 and £75 each, however, the "price to hang a door will vary depending on where you live, and sometimes the type of internal door you choose".

The hourly rate of a carpenter is anywhere from £16 to £40, so you could save yourself a small fortune by doing the job yourself. This guide from Wickes will show you how to replace a standard internal door, including how to trim it to size and how to choose the perfect hanging position.

Regrout and seal bathroom tiles

No matter how regular we are with our cleaning routine, tile grout and sealant can quickly become discoloured and start to deteriorate. Old grout can act as a breeding ground for mould or mildew in damp bathroom conditions and this can cause the seal between the tiles to no longer be waterproof.

So, if you're planning to fix your bathroom tiling, you could save around £250 by doing the job yourself, according to MyJobQuote. That's how much the average trade will charge, but with the job taking between one and two days, and minimal skills required, it's a DIY job that most are capable of. This guide from Topps Tiles should help.

Transform a splashback

Fitting a new kitchen can cost thousands. In fact, according to recent data, the average cost of a mid-range kitchen renovation in the UK is between £20,000 and £30,000 – eye-watering sums! However, simply by sprucing up what you already have you can quickly transform your kitchen.

If you don't have the budget to retile your splashback, then consider buying a tin of waterproof tile paint, like Muscovado Intelligent Eggshell (pictured) from Little Greene, or use kitchen-proof tile stickers to give your splashback an affordable makeover.

Repaint kitchen cupboards

And why stop there? Giving your kitchen cupboards a fresh lick of paint will make a big difference – and not just to how the room looks. According to Jessica Mitchell, a real estate expert at Gascoines, repainting your kitchen cabinets could add £2,000 to the value of your home, with the outlay for materials (sugar soap, sandpaper, a paintbrush and a can of furniture paint) being less than £50.

This is even more enticing when you consider that "a very small budget kitchen can cost under £7,000", while a large, bespoke one could cost up to £100,000, Checkatrade confirms. There are countless guides to painting kitchen cabinets, like this one from B&Q, but just ensure you buy suitable paint.

Pull up carpets

If you're looking to lay a brand-new carpet or expose gorgeous original floorboards, then you may need to rip out old carpets to do so. But did you know that a professional carpet fitter will charge you £1 to £4 per m2 to do the job, according to MyBuilder? Since you're looking at paying between £18 and £25 per hour for someone to lay a new carpet for you, you should consider pulling the old ones up yourself.

According to Tapi, you'll need a utility knife, pliers and, potentially, a crowbar. Just ensure you wear gloves and protect your face and eyes with a mask and goggles, because it's a dusty job and loose nails or staples could easily cause injury.

Hang pictures or shelves

It might sound like a scary prospect, but hanging your own pictures and shelving units will teach you skills that you'll be able to use again and again. Not only that, but you'll also save hundreds of pounds.

According to Checkatrade, you can expect to pay someone in the region of £40 to £90 for picture hanging and anywhere from £80 to £1,400 for someone to hang shelves for you. Our dedicated guide to easy DIY tasks will show you how to successfully tackle both projects.

Personalise flat-pack furniture

In a world where new furniture can cost hundreds of pounds, flat-pack alternatives are a fantastic, budget-friendly option. These self-assembly units tend to be fairly basic in terms of design, but they will set you back a fraction of the price of designer furnishings. But should you want to achieve a more bespoke finish, you can easily tackle an upcycling project to turn a generic flat-pack item into a one-of-a-kind statement piece.

For example, this gorgeous cabinet was transformed by Furniture And Choice, by removing and replacing the inner door sections with sheets of decorative woven cane and adding a simple lick of black paint.

Check your pipes

Each year, it’s vital to check your pipes to ensure there are no leaks, corrosion or kinks that need to be fixed. Pipe cleaning kits and solutions can solve many of the most common plumbing problems, such as blocked sinks and backed-up toilets, and are relatively cheap to buy from DIY stores. After all, it can cost £165 to hire a plumber to find a leak and an extra £240 to fix one, while you'd need to pay £68 for a basic blockage removal.

Build your own recess storage solutions

There's nothing better than a custom-made storage unit, crafted by an artisan carpenter, but it's a luxury that doesn't come cheap. As Checkatrade suggests: "The price you’ll pay for a carpenter will vary. However, on average, you can expect to pay around £37.50 per hour for their services." They will even charge, on average, £1,100 to construct a fitted wardrobe.

So, if you're on a budget, consider buying modular units or adapting flat-pack items to create valuable recess storage.

Fix fencing

Over time, heavy rain and strong winds can wreak havoc with garden fencing, causing it to look shabby, or worse, fall apart. The longer you put off fence repairs, the worse the situation will become, so time is of the essence.

Hiring a professional fencer costs approximately £240 per day or £30 per hour, but with endless online tutorials available, you'll be able to replace an entire fence panel or install a new supporting rail in no time.

Secure the shed

Garden sheds are ideal storage units for everything from valuable tools to bicycles, which is why they are often targeted by criminals. "Separated from the rest of the house, and potentially containing valuable tools and equipment, it promises lucrative spoils at minimal risk of getting caught," Waltons explains.

From installing a new lock to adding a security light, its guide to successfully securing your shed could help you protect your belongings and save money, since the average rate for a handyman in the UK is £27 per hour.

Refresh your patio/decking

Over the years, your once shiny new decking or patio paving slabs can become overtaken by weeds or green algae, so they require regular maintenance to keep them looking fresh. "Patio cleaning services usually involve jet washing your patio with professional machinery," Checkatrade explains. "With that in mind, the cost of patio cleaning can range from around £150 to £350."

However, you can easily pick up a pressure washer from your local hardware store for under £100 and you'll be able to use it again and again. Alternatively, "white vinegar is a popular natural cleaner that can be used both inside and outside," Decks & Docks says. "Simply combine one gallon of water with one cup of white vinegar and scrub the deck with the solution to remove algae, mould and mildew."

Repair garden furniture

If left exposed to the elements, garden furniture – particularly wooden items – can quickly look tatty and even deteriorate to the point of breaking. However, a new garden set can cost hundreds of pounds.

Instead, make do with what you have by repairing and revamping your old set. If made from wood, you can measure and cut new slats and install them using nails. Wood should also be treated once a year with a wax-free preserver, to prevent fungi and rot.

If your furniture is metal, this cleaning guide from Metal Furniture Doctor will guide you, while those with wicker or rattan pieces can follow this expert guide to fix any broken elements.

Clear gutters

We know it isn't the most enticing of household jobs, but ensuring your gutters are cleared of debris and leaves will ensure water flows freely, preventing issues like damp and internal leaks. Plus, clogged gutters won't exactly be adding kerb appeal to your pad.

According to MyBuilder, it can cost anywhere between £75 and £425 to hire someone to clear your gutters, depending on where you live, what type of property you have and whether scaffolding is needed. So, grab a step ladder, goggles, bucket and a pair of gloves and get stuck in!

Protect exterior paintwork

From window frames to brickwork, exterior paint not only makes homes look inviting but acts as the first line of defence against the elements. You might think that chips, cracks and flaking paint aren’t a big issue, but “durable exterior wall coatings can protect your home from weather damage such as rain, wind and hail,” Never Paint Again explains. They can also “prevent water from penetrating the walls, which can lead to mould growth and other types of damage”.

You can expect to pay between £3,000 and £6,000 for a professional to paint your exterior, Checkatrade advises, so you might want to consider taking on smaller jobs yourself. Just be sure to always follow ladder safety regulations.

Spruce up the garden

If you're lucky enough to have a garden, you'll know there's nothing better than enjoying an alfresco meal or drink during the warmest months of the year. But, it goes without saying that gardens can be fairly high maintenance and require work to keep them looking neat and tidy.

If yours requires a spruce-up, you could save yourself around £200 by doing it yourself. According to MyJobQuote, this is how much a gardener will charge – or between £14 and £25 per hour. So grab those gardening gloves and get started!