Welcome to DIY Doctor's blog

How do you decide which tools to buy when you are embarking on a Home Improvement project?

DIY Doctor was set up thirteen years ago after founder Mike Edwards spotted a need for DIY and Home Improvement customers to be given professional advice on how to complete basic building projects at home. This included advice on what tools and equipment to purchase, depending on the jobs they are doing.

In 2000 the internet was a relatively new resource, but it has now become the way that most people find out about, well, anything really. The term ‘Google it’ has entered our everyday language and most people are now happy to make online purchases, rather than buy in a shop.

Let us know what you need to know from us, to help you with your purchase

Are you one of those ‘early adopters’ who buys the latest gadget and has a tool for every job you ever completed? If so do you actively look to see what is new on the market or do you react to seeing an advert, television show or magazine write up?

Do you search for tools after making a decision to do a job? In which case are you likely to rush out and buy the first thing you can get your hands on that will do the job? The danger with this type of buying is that you might buy something that is not the best solution for the work you are doing. Would you be prepared to wait a day or two to get the product that will make the job easier for you by being ideally suited to what you are doing.

Perhaps you like to kit yourself out for many eventualities and then choose what to buy? Do you have some tools that multi-task for you, tools that you have had for a long time, and you consider the market very carefully before investing in something new? If so what would you find to be the most useful type of advice when you need to add to your collection?

Most of us like to get a good deal don’t we?

There are several ways to decide which tool to buy: You can set yourself a budget and then find out what you can get for the money; you can decide what features you need and then look for the best deal; or you can have a wishlist of features and look around for the best mix of features and price you can find.

How important to you is the knowledge of sales staff, whether that is in person or online. Would you be satisfied with online information and third party reviews, or would you want to have the opportunity to talk to someone about your choices before you purchase.

Do you like to see video reviews of the products you want to buy and if so do you prefer them to concentrate on one tool or to compare two or more tools?

Sometimes the best deal can mean spending more on a really good, professional grade tool, that will last for years rather than buying the cheapest tool, which may not last very long. Would you be more likely to buy a better grade of tool if you could see it ‘in the flesh’ or if it was recommended to you by someone you trust? Do you shop around in DIY stores but ultimately buy online after shopping around on price?

If you have a big job or project, are you more likely to hire a power tool or buy one? Would you consider buying reconditioned or secondhand tools?

DIY Doctor video reviews are available on our You Tube channel.

Help us make DIY Doctor better for you

If you would like to get involved with our fact-finding mission then please leave a comment on this post (click on the link at the top of this page), or you can contact us via social media.

On Twitter @diydoctor or Facebook at facebook.com/diydoctor

Tweet

Share via email

‘How to’ and ‘Review’ videos are becoming a really popular part of what we do

The DIY Doctor channel on You Tube is packed full of useful tool reviews, so if you are thinking of replacing your cordless drill or investing in a wet and dry vacuum, why not check out what we have to say?

They are completely independent reviews of tools and products that any DIY or home improvement enthusiast might want to buy. Our boss Mike Edwards tests most of the tools (unless they are gardening tools – he is not a hypocrite!) and his style is blunt and honest.

Video Tool Review section

We also have a video tool review section on DIY Doctor, this gives you a written round up as well as the featured video. The beauty of video tool reviews is that you can actually see the tools in action on screen before you buy.

In the video tool review section we give an impartial review of the product, point out the pros and cons, tell you whether we like it, and why, and give it a star rating so you can easily compare similar products. Then we then leave it up to you to decide.

‘How To’ videos make learning new DIY tasks easier

The other brilliant use for You Tube is the ‘How To’ videos we produce. Videos are often the easiest ways to learn new home improvement tasks, and we always welcome your suggestions. So if you can’t find the video you want to see just let us know – leave a comment here on the blog or use the ‘contact us’ button on the main website.

DIY Doctor is invited to give talks at trade shows where we give advice on home improvement jobs like plastering, plumbing and tiling. We video the talks so you don’t have to miss them even if you can’t make it to the exhibition centres.

A bit of fun with DIY

In addition to the serious ‘how to’ and tool review videos we also add in some that are just a bit of fun, like this beautiful DIY Christmas tree that CEO Mike Edwards designed and built in our film studio to show you what magical things can be made out of basic building materials.

We were delighted with the response to this fun video (over 600,000 views so far!) and we are asking him to plan his next seasonal video. We will upload it to You Tube as soon as inspiration strikes – so why not follow the DIY Doctor You Tube channel and you will be the first to know about his latest brilliant project.

Tweet

Share via email

We think we have managed to make Price Doctor as simple as possible to use, you do not need computer experience and it is all broken down into easy stages with choices of pictures for you to just click on. Visit Price Doctor and get a free total for for your build, which you can compare with builders quotes or use to budget your project. Click on the image below or visit our home page and find Price Doctor in the navigation buttons on the left.

Click on the picture above to use Price Doctor and then please let us know what you think, did you know we have a facebook page?

Grab a coffee and we will see you over there…

Tweet

Share via email

New estimating software helps avoid cowboy builders by taking the guess-work out of building costs

Price Doctor is a new online application that will allow homeowners and builders to effectively work out the price of building jobs, and order materials.

Price Doctor – Extension quote and price checking software

Price Doctor helps the user to understand all the costs involved in home improvement projects, from basic DIY, to project management of an extension, and even self-build. Homeowners can also use it to compare builders’ quotes for their job. Builders can price the job using their own labour and material rates, together with the mark-up they need to cover overheads and profit.

The system displays options at every stage, using pictures with captions. No building experience is required, nothing needs to be downloaded, and using it involves minimal computer skills. The user just clicks on the picture that matches the design and material they want, and then displays the total cost of the chosen extension. Other options available include access to labour costings, and materials breakdown lists.

The basic design package is free to all users. Additional features are available for domestic through to commercial use, from £10 to £80.

Home Improvement Doctor, which also owns the online advice site DIY Doctor, have developed Price Doctor as part of their campaign to improve the reputation of the building trade in this country. Director Mike Edwards explains “Price Doctor is a really important tool in our drive to arm the consumer with the information they need to avoid cowboy builders, and all the financial implications of that”. Recent reports indicate that 13% of homeowners have been affected by cowboy traders costing some £3.7 billon [Sainsbury’s Home Insurance].

The software has been in the planning or BETA stage for the last two years while it has been rigorously tested. Price Doctor developer Jim Gardner said “Ironically the fact that we wanted to make Price Doctor easy to use made building it more difficult. The information in the programme is incredibly detailed and comprehensive in order that it can cope with everything from a simple extension to a complete build, but we recognised that the system itself would have to be as easy to use as possible, so that anyone can use it, even if they have minimal computer skills”.

Builders can use Price Doctor to accurately quote for jobs ensuring that their prices are fair and make a reasonable profit, avoiding those ‘guestimates’ on time and materials that can cost them money. Quotes can be prepared immediately and left with the customer at the first meeting.

Mike Edwards says “Creating the quote with the customer there to make choices in design, cuts down on office paperwork for the builder, and allows for alternative materials and dimensions to be considered to fit in with the customer’s budget. This creates complete transparency in the quoting process and builds trust in the builder/customer relationship from the beginning.

If Price Doctor is used with our Desired Outcome Building contract, our Payment Protection Plan and our own reliable, insured Tradesmen, there is absolutely no reason why any rogue tradesman should set foot through your door. “

The labour list itemises all of the different trades involved in the build and gives a total cost per trade as well as how long each should take in days. The materials list gives a complete overview of all the construction materials needed to complete the chosen job including individual quantities and prices for each item. It automatically includes all new regulation calculations for home insulation.

The Trade version allows tradesmen to alter the materials and cost per hour quoted by Price Doctor to take account of their own pay rates and trade discounts on materials.

No downloads are necessary and customers simply log into the Price Doctor page to start using the product.  Completed projects can be saved and edited later to adjust both design and price.

For more information about Price Doctor follow the link http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/price-doctor/

Tweet

Share via email

There is a lot of buzz around self  sufficiency and renewable heat sources, so if you have gone in for the log burner or wood fueled boiler, you will need to get some logs in.

Of course you will have done this already – it has been very chilly in the evenings in many places for the last month or so, but you need to cut logs now ready for next year. Well seasoned logs are much more efficient at burning. Even if you don’t have an area that is covered, if you stack them in a sheltered spot (under the lea of a garage or shed for instance) they will benefit from being cut and seasoned before use next year.

If you are planning your own logging expedition you need to consider what tools you will need. We have been reviewing tools all summer, in our studios and out on site, and we are happy to share our knowledge with you.

We have tried to make our reviews as easy to follow as possible with a written round-up, a star-rating system and a video demonstration, but do leave comments on the page if you have any suggestions for how we could improve them.

CHAINSAWS

Titan Electric Chainsaw review – click picture to see page

Mountfield MC3616 Chainsaw review – click picture to see page

Don’t forget if you have a chainsaw you need to oil it

Chain Oil for Chainsaws review – click picture to see page

If you have any products that you would like us to review please leave your comments here (click on the comments link on the top right-hand side of the page)

If you have a product that you would like us to review please contact us – but be warned, we will be honest!

Tweet

Share via email