DIY courses; Home Jane; your recommendations

I’m currently writing up a lengthy post on sanding floorboards, with pictures and everything, but in the meantime I wanted to share a recommendation.

Having always thought of myself as being rather good at DIY, I’ve recently come to realise that I was mostly just enthusiastic rather than genuinely skillful. Since I was moving into a new place which needed a lot of work, and was doing it on my own, I wanted to be able to do at least some of the smaller jobs myself. I also wanted to know enough to have meaningful conversations with builders, plumbers and so on, and hopefully avoid getting ripped off by unscrupulous cowboys.

When I saw that Home Jane were running a four week DIY course in SE1, then, I immediately signed up. Called ‘Tools for the Terrified’, it promised to be fairly hands on, and to cover woodworking, decorating, plumbing and wiring. Now, not being particularly terrified of tools, more just a bit inexperienced, I worried that it would be too basic or patronising. I was wrong.

I was wrong on a couple of counts. Firstly, it *was* fairly basic, but it just made me realise how much of the basics I didn’t actually know. I didn’t really know something as simple as the correct way to paint a wall, or how the plumbing system in a house works. I didn’t really know what I could or couldn’t legally do to the wiring in a house (as it turns out, there *isn’t* very much you are allowed to do), or how the electrics are normally set up.

I was also wrong because the workshop tutors and Home Jane team were great, very helpful, very clear, and always willing to answer questions. Not at all patronising. The class sizes are small, so you’ll need to get in there quick when they do run another one, though unfortunately there is no sign on their website that they have anything planned soon. Keep an eye on their news page, or send them an email if you want to find out more.

Still in the same borough, Southwark council also seem to be offering woodworking courses amongst other things, though I can’t vouch for them. Have you tried one of their courses?

For outside of London, a quick google search seems to bring up loads of different options. Could also search specifically for woodwork, plumbing or decorating. Have you tried any of these courses? Any other recommendations?

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F***ing it up

Firsttimebuyer.wordpress.com had already gone, but that basically sums me up. A first time buyer, blindly (blithely?) feeling my way into this brave new world of property, responsibility, building’s insurance, new kitchens, giant gaping holes in ceilings and pain.

It’s been the steepest of learning curves and, indeed, it continues to be. Whilst I write this first post, utilising the lovely BT line which cost me about £120 I wasn’t expecting to have to pay (lesson no. 52), I’m still living in about 40% flat, 60% building site. From here, sat on the bed, I can see right through to the living room due to the the missing bedroom door, and a missing internal window. If I lean all the way over I can wave at passersby through the front window. Hello passersby! This is what I look like on a lazy Sunday! Lucky them.

I have half a kitchen. On one side the tiles are nearly finished, the beautiful wooden worktop is oiled and ready to go, the oven functions, the fridge is full. On the other side, the nasty old worktop remains, the rest of the kitchen cabinets are stacked to the ceiling, the sink is flimsy stainless (ha!) steel and daily covered with mysterious slug trails. Lesson no. 41 – if at all possible, do the kitchen first, *before* you move in.

So, I’m still not sure if I’m fixing it up, or f***king it up. But either way, I’ve learnt an awful lot over the last few months. For me, I feel it’s important to be as informed as possible to be able to make any important decisions (which fridge, etc) or before starting a major task (sanding the floors, for example), and with the whole internet at my disposal that’s a LOT of information I’ve been gathering over the course of this project.

I’ve also had a excellent and friendly builder who’s been on hand to help, make suggestions I wouldn’t even have thought of and fix problems I hadn’t even noticed. I’ll be sharing everything I’ve learnt from this process, and am also hoping to develop and share a couple of tools I think will be handy.

I’m not an expert and this is only personal anecdote so please comment if you have personal experiences to add, or are a professional who’d like to correct any glaring errors.

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