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With the rising cost of building materials and labour, it is inevitable that homeowners will seek to minimise repair costs by doing the work themselves. The current shortage of skilled tradespersons and builders mean that even a relatively small repair jobs will be costly and further compounded by rising interest rates that directly affect homeowners servicing mortgages.

To offset the skills shortage and the impact of rising interest rates, there are simple repairs that homeowners can easily do in order to minimise their outlay, and that do not require any degree of specialty training. Similarly, homeowners are ill advised to attempt repairs on structural elements of their home or to electrical, plumbing and gas services. Attempting repairs of this nature may have the opposite effect and can even be quite dangerous if attempted by unskilled people.

Repairs that homeowners should avoid are:

Roof and gutters: The risk is that improper repair may lead to leaking and cause damage to internal wall linings and surfaces, water ingress to electrical fixtures and damage to floor coverings. Working at height also poses an additional risk where a fall may lead to serious injury.

Electrical and water: The danger of unskilled homeowners working on their electrical system is serious because injury, fire or death may be the result of incorrect or faulty connections. The person affecting repairs may not necessarily be the victim of an unfortunate accident caused by a poor repair attempt. Water leaks from poorly repaired water pipes or drainage may result in far more costly repairs when wall linings need replacing because of consequential damage.

Gas and Sewer: Gas leaks can cause a fire or explosion if not properly sealed, and the risk of asphyxia is significant in a confined space such as a service cupboard or enclosure. Attempting to repair sewerage systems is not only a significant health issue, there are also some unpleasant consequences in the event things begin to go wrong when pipes are exposed and/or couplings loosened.

Structural Repairs: Attempting to repair structural problems is extremely foolish if you do not have the necessary skills and training. Subsidence, sagging roof, warped support member or damaged foundation require specialised equipment and skilled workers to safely and effectively carry out repairs. Like it or not, a structural repair is going to be costly however if a homeowner attempts to do the work, the cost of repairs may be significantly higher as

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