Bargain Betty: Conquering DIY King

Smart DIYers do their research and save money on building jobs. Photo / Thinkstock

I've got to admit that I'm a bit of a DIY-phobic. But my mate, the DIY King, has told me about so many of his victories that I felt the need to write about him.

DIY home repairs do save money. My friend, however, takes it to another level. By being clever, in a real Bargain Betty manner, he saves a small fortune.

Take the ceiling insulation he has just installed in his 250sq m house. The King didn't even bother with the Government subsidy off the installation cost. He simply worked with a mate.

He was especially clever in educating himself about the different grades of insulation on the market, and instead of spending $3200 on a well-known brand he sourced New Zealand/Australian-standard insulation of the same specifications on Trade Me for $1045.

I do admire people who are financially clever when it comes to DIY and construction work.

The DIY royal, who doesn't much like talking to the media, sealed his fate of being cast centre-stage in this article when he recounted the story of a loft ladder job.

His neighbour had paid $3000 for such a ladder. The King picked his up in Bunnings Warehouse for $249 on sale, and installed it in two hours.

Not every DIY building job is so financially viable, and my buddy picks his jobs wisely, accepting that it's occasionally better to use a tradesman. Bathroom tiling is one such example.

Anyone contemplating jobs will need to consider the value of their time. The DIY King was quoted $22,000 to paint his last house. In the end he bought $2000 of paint and did it himself over 10 days.

He works in a salaried job, whereas someone like me who is paid for the work they do might do better financially paying a tradesman for such time-consuming jobs.

A few years back I booked a weekend at the Sublime Apartments in Paihia. Sublime Apartments owner Mark Hockley turned out to be a kindred spirit and talked me through the money-saving victories he'd achieved while renovating rundown apartments.

The one that always stuck in my mind was the case of nine designer hand basins, which retailed for $300, which he bought brand new on Trade Me for $90 each.

The moral of this tale is to stop, think, assess and plan before throwing money at a DIY job.

diana@worldfusion.com