GSI is the new DIY, or it is for many people. After the surge in popularity of DIY over the last decade it comes as somewhat of a surprise that more and more people are leaving DIY behind and are instead using professionals to do the work for them.

The benefit of doing DIY is that you can save a lot of money, however you might not get the level of finish you are after. A professional will not only do a better job, if you are unhappy you can get them to remedy any problems or niggles you may have.

Getting Someone In is going to become even more prominent over the next few years, as homeowners will struggle to find time away from their jobs to spend any time at home.

DIY stores have expanded rapidly over the last few years as many people resort to doing work in their homes themselves in an effort to save money. Where once a homeowner might have just wielded a paint brush, they are now fitting floors themselves and even carrying out tasks such as making modifications to the plumbing or electrics in their home.

All this means that the standard of workmanship in some homes is downright appalling and what may look good on the surface, generally hides a botch job underneath. It’s for this reason that we’d always recommend getting a thorough survey before buying a house. And if you need to do a job in the house, make sure you’re capable of doing the job and have the right skills. If you don’t know what you’re doing, get a tradesman to do the job and you’ll also get a better finish.

One of the easiest ways to spruce up a room is to give it a lick of paint. Painting a room doesn’t take a lot of time, just a little effort and a little dedication. If you plan well ahead you can give the room a new lease of life in just a day.

1. In the few days prior to decorating start to remove ornaments from the room and give it a good clean.
2. If the wood work (skirtings/windows don’t need painting just give them a wipe over
3. Emulsion paint can be applied using brushes or a roller if you want a speedy job
4. Cover all the things that can’t be removed from the room such as carpets and sofas before you begin
5. Paint all the tricky bits first and then fill in the gaps
6. If you have to paint over the walls again to get even coverage

We don’t normally advocate the use of one-coat paints, but if you want a job done quickly, these are the best type to go for.

After spending a fortune on bottled water over the last few years, we thought we’d try an undersink water filter.

Most big water filter brands now offer an undersink water filter solution. Either in-line with your cold water supply or via a separate drinking water tap. The kit we installed was the 3M Taste Master Plus.

The kit contained:

• A chrome tap
• An in-line filter
• An easy fit connector (to connect to your cold supply)
• All the connecting tubes and screws etc

The kit was really easy to fit (you do need some DIY knowledge) and the included tap is one of the better ones on the market. The filter sits neatly under the sink and you don’t have to turn off the water to change the filter (every six months) which is a bonus.

So, does it make a difference to the water quality? You can definately tell the difference, with the most notable point the reduction in the taste of chlorine. But the water also tastes better and looks clearer too.

The tap has just been installed. It remains to be seen how it performs over the next couple of years.

If you are about to start decorating one of the rooms in your home, it may be worthwhile taking a step back to work out your plan of attack.

Preparation is the key

Before you open any of the cans of paint you have purchased from your DIY store you should look at a few things:

• Are your electrical sockets in the right places?
• Do you need to strip any wallpaper from the walls?
• Make sure all surfaces that are to be painted are sanded so that they provide a key for the new paint to attach to.
• Take out all items from the room that can be easily removed
• Cover the floor with suitable dust sheets

If you dive headlong into the painting you won’t get the best results from your DIY project.