When it comes to home improvement homeowners often find themselves wanting to do the project themselves to reduce the cost of either buying or hiring someone to do the job for them. Some homeowners who are handy with a tool may know exactly what to do, but for those who may be less handy or a first-timer referring to the right resources will make the project easier. Here are a few good resources to aid you in your DIY projects:

Search Engines

Search engines such as Google and Yahoo are great starting places to find what you want to do. For example a simple search of “how to make a desk” will yield thousands of results on how to make all sorts of desks.  Adding additional descriptors will help you narrow your results to the exact thing you are looking for.

YouTube.com

What better way to figure out how to make or fix something in the home than with a video. Videos are a great resource since they are able to show things that still pictures can’t. You can see the project from start to finish and also get an idea of how long a project will take.

BobVila.com

Who do you think of when someone says “name someone who does home improvements and repairs?” I don’t know about you, but I think of Bob Vila, the host of “This Old House” from 1979-1989 and the commercial spokesman for Sears. His site,

FamilyHandyman.com

This site is an extension from the home repair and improvement magazine with the same name. The magazine is already known for their step-by-step photographed tutorials and the sites tutorials are equally impressive as its counterpart.

DIYNetwork.com

This site is a compilation of all the tips and tutorials that are aired on the DIY Network. They usually have a short video or discussion on most of their home improvement and repair topics although they do tend to be more of an overview rather than a detailed tutorial.

DoItYourself.com

Another great site to look at how other home owners did their home improvements. The site offers how-to guides along with videos and an interesting service they provide is the find a contractor tab. This tab helps you find local contractors to help you with your project if needed.

AcmeHowTo.com

Learn how to fix and set up just about anything from this site through their free repair and DIY guides. The guides provide articles and information on how to plan and complete projects as well as how to diagnose and repair things around the house.

The next time you feel like doing something on your own remember these helpful DIY resources and you can impress the next house guest with new and creative home features.

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