UK DIY, first

Fancy giving it a go?

Clear beginner guides for everyday jobs around the house and garden. A shopping list with typical UK prices. Or a local trade, if you’d rather not get the tools out.

The jobs

What do you want to take on?

Search every guide, or filter by section. Only “Paint a room” is written in full so far; the rest have a working page ready for the same layout. The original 20 jobs all sit in House — they are indoor jobs. Garden and Upholstery & Furniture start with coming-soon guides.

Decorating

Paint a room

Walls, ceiling and woodwork, at a weekend pace.

Beginner A weekend Decorator
Guide ready
Fixings

Put up a shelf

A straight shelf, fixed safely into the wall.

Beginner 1–2 hours Carpenter
Coming soon
Plumbing

Fix a dripping tap

Usually a washer or cartridge, and a quiet Sunday morning.

Beginner 30–60 minutes Plumber
Coming soon
Decorating

Hang wallpaper

A feature wall or a whole room, without the creases.

Beginner–intermediate A day Decorator
Coming soon
Tiling

Tile a splashback

A tidy kitchen or bathroom splashback you can wipe clean.

Beginner–intermediate A day, plus drying Tiler
Coming soon
Bathrooms

Reseal a bath or shower

Cut out the old silicone and run a clean new bead.

Beginner 1–2 hours, plus curing Bathroom fitter
Coming soon
Tiling

Regrout tiles

Fresh grout lines that make tired tiles look new.

Beginner Half a day Tiler
Coming soon
Decorating

Fit wall panelling

Shaker or board-and-batten panelling for a feature wall.

Beginner–intermediate A weekend Carpenter
Coming soon
Flooring

Lay laminate flooring

A click-together floor, laid straight, with the right underlay.

Beginner–intermediate A weekend Flooring fitter
Coming soon
Heating

Bleed a radiator

Get the heat back if the top of the radiator is cold.

Beginner 15–30 minutes Heating engineer
Coming soon
Fixings

Hang a curtain pole

A level pole, fixed into the wall or lintel, that can take the weight.

Beginner 1–2 hours Handyman
Coming soon
Decorating

Paint a front door

A durable finish that will stand up to weather and fingerprints.

Beginner A day, plus drying Decorator
Coming soon
Plumbing

Fix a running toilet

A flapper, fill valve or split pin — and a quieter cistern.

Beginner 30–90 minutes Plumber
Coming soon
Fixings

Put up blinds

Recess or face-fix blinds, measured twice and hung level.

Beginner 1–2 hours Handyman
Coming soon
Decorating

Fill cracks in walls

Hairline cracks and old picture-hook holes, filled flush and ready to paint.

Beginner 1–3 hours, plus drying Decorator
Coming soon
Plumbing

Change a mixer tap

Swap a kitchen or basin mixer, with the water isolated first.

Beginner–intermediate 1–3 hours Plumber
Coming soon
Fixings

Hang a mirror

The right fixings for the wall, and a mirror that sits flush and safe.

Beginner 30–60 minutes Handyman
Coming soon
Carpentry

Fit skirting boards

Internal corners, external mitres, and a tidy line around the room.

Beginner–intermediate A day Carpenter
Coming soon
Decorating

Paint kitchen cupboards

A thorough clean, a proper primer, and a tough finish that lasts.

Beginner–intermediate A weekend, plus curing Decorator
Coming soon
Plumbing

Unblock a sink

A plunger, a bucket and the U-bend — before you reach for harsh chemicals.

Beginner 20–60 minutes Plumber
Coming soon
Garden

Lay a patio

A level patio, properly bedded, that you can actually sit out on.

Beginner–intermediate A weekend or two Landscaper
Coming soon
Garden

Lay or oil decking

New boards laid straight, or a tired deck cleaned and oiled.

Beginner–intermediate A weekend Decking fitter
Coming soon
Garden

Paint or treat a fence

A clean, treated fence that will stand up to a British winter.

Beginner A day or two Landscaper
Coming soon
Garden

Paint a shed

Prep, prime and a weatherproof finish for a garden shed.

Beginner A weekend Handyman
Coming soon
Upholstery

Reupholster a dining chair seat

New fabric, a tight finish, and a chair you can actually use again.

Beginner–intermediate An afternoon Upholsterer
Coming soon
Upholstery

Recover a footstool

Fresh fabric on a stool or pouffe, without a wrinkle in sight.

Beginner A couple of hours Upholsterer
Coming soon
Upholstery

Repair a sofa cushion

A split seam or a tired cushion pad, put right at home.

Beginner 1–2 hours Upholsterer
Coming soon
Furniture

Paint or upcycle furniture

A thorough prep, the right paint, and a finish that will take the knocks.

Beginner–intermediate A weekend, plus drying Furniture restorer
Coming soon

How it works

Three straightforward steps

1

Pick a job

Pick a section — House, Garden, or Upholstery & Furniture — then the guide that matches what you want to do. We only suggest work a careful beginner can take on. Gas and most notifiable electrical work are left to the professionals.

2

Go, or no?

Fancy giving it a go? We’ll show you the steps and a shopping list with typical UK prices. If you’d rather not, we’ll help you find a local trade.

3

Shop, or book

Buy the kit through our shop links when they go live, or reach a tradesperson. Optional extra: upload a photo for an AI mock-up of the finished job — coming soon.

Coming soon

See it first

Upload a photo of the job

Wondering how a new colour, a splashback or a panelled wall might look in your actual room? Upload a photo and, when this is live, we’ll mock up the finished job as an impression — not an exact match — then point you back to the shopping list.

You can try the uploader now. The picture stays in your browser and is not sent anywhere yet.

Drop a photo here, or tap to choose one

JPG, PNG or WEBP. Front-end preview only.