Make the most of this ‘gift of time at home’ by trying out new DIY skills that will help transform your living space, make you feel more purposeful – and even persuade the whole family to work together, writes Jessica Salter
It is all a question of perspective. Seen in the right light, lockdown is an opportunity for improvement, both of ourselves and our immediate surroundings. DIY expert Jo Behari certainly sees it that way. We have, she says, been given “the gift of time at home”. This is, she reckons, the perfect time to tackle interior projects, especially those that are starting to rankle now that we’re staring at them every day.
But there is more to DIY that resolving decorative niggles. It can improve our mental health, too. “Doing projects yourself gives a sense of purpose,” says Behari. “And you get a huge amount of satisfaction when you’ve finished.” For those who are out of work – furloughed or retired – DIY can provide a sense of motivation and structure in the day. “If you’re repainting your bedroom, for example, there are a list of tasks you need to work through methodically,” she says.
For those who have children at home, projects can become a family activity. Both Behari’s five and eight-year-olds are – probably unbelievably to more risk-adverse modern parents – handy with a drill. “Plus, we get them to help with simple jobs like painting the garden fence or building flatpack furniture,” she says. And jobs the kids can’t do provide a welcome relief from childcare. “My husband and I fight about who gets to do those jobs – they give you a bit of alone time,” she laughs.
Even the smallest project can transform a room, from painting window frames a new colour to updating door handles or retiling the bathroom. Behari says a lack of skills or confidence shouldn’t hold us back. She herself learnt by following her dad around doing jobs as a child. “It was our time to hang out,” she says. “He taught me that it was important to know how to do a job, that it gave you a kind of independence.” When she moved into her first home, she honed her DIY skills further due to “a combination of no money and wanting to make him proud”.
Now on to her third home, Behari has tackled almost every kind of DIY project, written two books and presented television shows on the topic. Part of her message is that DIY is not just for boys. “There is no barrier for women to do it,” she says. “It’s not about strength, it’s about knowledge and learning.” She does, however, add a note of caution. “There is a caveat to all these projects. You should know your limitations,” she says. “You don’t want accidents where you need medical attention or to be left with something halfway through that you need a professional to fix.”
While getting the supplies you need might be harder than usual, it is still possible. Behari recommends searching your basement or shed, but adds that some DIY retailers are open and operating click and collect services, including branches of B&Q and Screwfix (screwfix.com), while many paint companies are selling online. If you just need to hire a tool, HSS is still operating (hss.com) or Fat Llama is a peer-to-peer lending site (fatllama. com). Behari adds that “one of the benefits of the lockdown is that we’re suddenly more community minded, so ask around on online forums or local WhatsApp groups; someone on your doorstep might be able to lend you the thing you need”. Waste collection services are also still operating, including Hippobag (hippowaste.co.uk), which offers a nationwide, next-day service without the need for a skip.
Behari says there is a project for everyone. “Pick something you think you can achieve and have fun with it. It’s hard to be physically active at the moment and DIY means that you’re not sitting around on the sofa all day,” she says. That might be quite an attractive thought by the time you’ve finished…
‘There is no barrier for women to do it. It’s not about strength, it’s about knowledge and learning’