What’s a good place to start for someone who hasn’t attempted home repairs before?
This will depend on whether the repairs are just simple aesthetic touches or more extensive repairs.

For extensive repairs, the first thing to remember about home repairs is to always do your research so that you are not duped by your tradesman. These days, the best way to gather information is on the Internet. Looking for previous reviews and write-ups on the companies you are working with can save you a negative experience later. You can also look in the yellow pages for different companies; however, the Internet is far superior for doing a bit of research before you hire a tradesman. Never forget to always get three quotes when researching companies. And, you don’t always have to go for the cheapest quote!

For simple fixes around the house, there are a number of helpful websites, such as asimplefix.com.au, that give you great advice and ideas on where to start with home repairs. It is good to look online because many times there are simple solutions to common problems that you didn’t know existed. This can ultimately save you both time and money.

What are some easy ways to glam up your home?
A great way to glam up your home is by looking for simple improvements. Do that by adding some great lamps around the house. If you already have lamp stands, updating the shades can instantly add interest and glam into the room. Just remember to keep them in coordination with the room’s theme and colour scheme. It is also great and inexpensive to add pillows and a throw blanket to the couch.

For a decorative touch, adding candles to a room can be great. I also like to pick up flowers every once in a while, and these don’t need to be expensive, you can change seasonally and choose the beautiful, but inexpensive bouquet that will light up any room.

And to make a house a home, it is great to add family photos around the room. Shops, like Ikea, have really gorgeous frames that are also inexpensive. This is a great way to add life to your home.

How can you get the kids involved?
The best way to get the kids involved is making them feel wanted or needed by giving them a job. Whether it be painting a canvas for the room or helping in the garden, I find that when my kids have an assigned job, they are great little helpers. My family all get involved around the house and my kids are great at picking up after themselves and helping me clean, and are sometimes better and more thorough than I am!

Another great way to have fun with the kids whilst fixing and repairing is to have a treasure hunt, where they seek out the newly repaired items. In fact Asimplefix.com.au, offers treasure hunt tactics and facilities to help you mock something up that the kids will love.

Another tip for mums and dads is to be armed with information on how to do the job correctly. It is important to do your research before you start a project. The best places to look are online, in magazines and by talking to friends who have done their own renovations. Asimplefix.com.au has some great advice online on where to start with fixing and some helpful how-to videos.

Why are mums and dads so eager to do home repairs?
Most importantly, it is because they want to make it their home. Recently, we did renovations to our house and I couldn’t wait to make it our home, which turned out to be as simple as a few personal touches in each room.

It is also great for budgeting. You can save a lot of money if you do the simple jobs around the house yourself. It is important though to make sure you know what you are doing so that you don’t waste time in the long run fixing your mistakes.

Doing simple home repairs also adds value to your home. There are obviously some jobs that cannot be done yourself, such as plumbing, that require a trained professional, but there are a number of DIY jobs around the house that can make a significant difference.

What are the advantages of home repairs?
The satisfaction of doing the job yourself. Say you build a picket fence yourself or make a minor repair on the back deck; there is such satisfaction when it’s a job well done. We all know men love the feeling of satisfaction after a long and hard day, however, women love it too! I try to fix things around the house when necessary. We often will look at a job and assess whether or not we will be able to do it, which we have an advantage on, since my husband is a tradesman. It is great to have a go at it as long as the job is simple enough.

Another great advantage of home repairs is working together on a project with the kids and teaching them how to value and care for their possessions. Its great to take one of the kids’ favourite toys that have broken and use some of Selleys clear glue to simply mend it and keep it in the toy chest. Before casting things into the rubbish and buying a replacement, have a go at fixing it because you will be surprised how easy it can be.

My husband and I actually project managed the entire thing which was a large, but again, satisfying task. I have painted a feature wall and added door handles and doorknobs around the house. I try to do as much around the house myself as possible, as long as the risk of getting it wrong is minimal.

I do remember when we were doing our deck, we accidently used the wrong decking oil so it didn’t dry properly. We then came out to find that a possum had walked through it and had to re-sand, re-oil and re-paint the entire thing! So, its not to say that DIY cannot sometimes go wrong…but it’s always worth trying.

Any other suggestions?
The most important thing to remember is to have a really clear idea of what you want. Say you want to fix your kitchen. The best thing to do is rip out articles of kitchens you really like and try to get the ideas of what you want down onto paper. Only then do you take it to a kitchen store, otherwise the kitchen company will end up telling you what you want and you won’t absolutely love the outcome.

It is also good to try to fix as much as you can around the house. With my kids still being young, there are little things around the house that are always breaking. Right now in fact, a favourite lamp of mine has become wobbly, and there isn’t someone who springs to mind that could fix it, so I’ll get out my Selleys glue from my toolbox and glue it back together. This will save me money on having to buy a new lamp, but more importantly - save a lamp that I love.

Your say: have you attempted any home repairs? Were they a success? What are your home repair tips? Tell us below...