DIY on a budget
Tips to save money and hassle this summer whilst planning DIY activities
29 May 2012: With several bank holidays around the corner and summer fast approaching, you may be planning some DIY. But before hitting the shops, it is worth taking some simple steps to save money and hassle. 
1. Plan in advance
Save time and money by making a list of all the supplies you will need beforehand. Making several trips to the shops because you’ve forgotten an item can not only be frustrating, but can increase the overall cost e.g. petrol and missed bulk buying opportunities.
Don’t scrimp on things like dustsheets and furniture covers, as it’s far more costly to replace carpet ruined by paint.
Avoid a DIY disaster by planning the job properly. Get advice from a DIY professional before you start or watch the ‘how to do it’ videos, that most of the big DIY chains offer. Take a look at Homebase, B & Q ,and Wickes.
2. Save money
Consider buying bigger cans of paint rather than spending a premium on several small cans and think about painting rooms the same colour to gain the benefit of buying in bulk. White is a clean neutral colour which never goes out of fashion and tends to be cheaper.
Use a paint calculator to estimate how much paint you will need. Many of the DIY chains and paint suppliers offer these on their websites. Try the Homebase paint calculator, Dulux paint calculator and B&Q paint calculator.
3. Check your insurance
Drilling through a water pipe or breaking a window could be very costly if it’s not covered by your insurance. So before starting any DIY project check the level of cover you hold with your home insurance provider.
For example, accidental damage is an optional extra on Nationwide’s home insurance and will cover you for things like putting your foot through the loft floor or spilling paint on the outside wall while painting windows. Find out more about Nationwide's home insurance.
4. Plan how you will fund your DIY
If you don’t have the money upfront to pay for your DIY project, plan how you will pay for it before you start.
Be careful of store cards, because although these tend to offer introductory deals such as 10% off and store card-holder evenings, interest rates can be as high as 29% APR.
You could consider a credit card that offers 0% on purchases. For example the Nationwide Select Card, available to main current account customers, offers 0% on purchases for 12 months,12.9% APR Representative (variable), and unlimited cash back of 0.5% on sterling purchases. It also offers some exclusive rewards, Simply Rewards, to treat yourself after you’ve finished your DIY. Find out more about Nationwide's Select Card and eligibility criteria.
So if you are going to spend your extra days off doing DIY around the house, spending some extra time planning ahead can make a real difference to your finances.