Let’s keep it real from the get-go. Not everyone can afford to live in a custom new build home, let alone buy a brand new house complete with every feature you ever want from your dream home wish list because life is not as perfect as what we are shown on tv. But that does not mean you are doomed to living in an ugly home if you can help it.
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So what’s the next best thing to recreating your dream home while living on a low budget? DIYing it! 🙂 And the best place to start is with books.
Educate yourself, do your own research, and learn as much as you can about that particular topic so you DIY your own home improvement projects and save yourself some serious cash. Find out all that you can and are willing to do with the resources that you already have.
You will surprise yourself when you discover that you can actually make it happen without hiring extra help.
If you are looking to start your DIY home improvement projects soon, here are some of the best books on the market to read before you get started on your DIY journey.
The Reader’s Digest Series:
A highly recommended resource amongst many homeowners, The Fix It Yourself Manual is a comprehensive guide to fix almost everything you can think of the inside of your home.
Reader’s Digest 99 Cent Solutions – Easy Ways to Save Thousands of Dollars
When it comes to smart, reliable, information you can readily use, Reader’s Digest does not disappoint. This little book has almost every solution that you can think of for every life situation you may run into at home like: how to get rid of fishy smells to how to prevent weeds from growing in your cracks. It’s a handy resource to keep on hand for any of life’s DIY situations, not just home improvement projects.
The Family HandMan Series:
Family HandyMan The Complete Do-it-Yourself Manual Newly Updated
An excellent reference guide with step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow for anyone at any age without having to rely on the internet. This book has lots of practical tips like how to maximize the space in your bathroom using a double shower rod amongst many other DIY project ideas to improve your home too.
Family HandyMan 100 Things Every Homeowner Must Know
This book is an easy beginner’s guide to the everyday things you would encounter with your home maintenance. It has lots of pictures with step-by-step instructions on basic upkeep, money-saving tips, and even a little section on mistakes people normally make very handy for the first-time homeowners.
Family Handyman Do It Yourself Basics
The Do It Yourself Basics is a short little reference guide that is perfect for first-time homeowners. It talks about the basics of owning a home in the US and how to do it yourself with cost estimates for some projects. Do your own homework though since these costs can vary quite a bit depending on where you live.
TLDR? Grab Your Basic Tool Kit Checklist here:
The For Dummies Series:
How To Fix Everything For Dummies
I’ve always liked The How To For Dummies Series as I find that it’s a great introduction for anyone who is remotely curious about certain subjects such as; How To Fix Everything For Dummies, a great precursor for the book below. This book would be a great gift for your budding college students or first-time apartment-dwelling young person in your life because it gives them a primer for what to expect later on and their home maintenance Journey.
If you’re the type of person who loves reading more than you like looking at pictures then this book is for you. For those who like to plan out their chores in advance, there’s a handy timeline guide that breaks down the specific chores for you to do and what to check on monthly, periodically, seasonally, and annually.
The Dare To Repair Series:
Dare to Repair: A Do-it-Herself Guide to Fixing (Almost) Anything in the Home
Picture yourself talking to your best female friend while she walks you through how to unclog your sink and put it back together again. Short of having an actual female friend there, this book gives a good step-by-step tutorial with drawings and diagrams on how to fix the basic things around your home without help from a guy.
This is a great basic overview of what you can do yourself to enhance the look and feel of your home with easy projects like how to remove old wallpaper. There are no photos however there are drawings and diagrams that give you a basic understanding and reference guide for in home repairs.
The Ultimate Guide Series:
This book provides a very basic understanding of your home electrical wiring. Although it was written in the 90s, there is still a wealth of information to be found in this book that is still helpful and relevant in modern times especially if you’re unsure about electrical wiring in your home. There are lots of colorful pictures, diagrams, and photos as well as a glossary of terms that is handy to have especially if you don’t have internet service in your home yet.
The ultimate guide for plumbing how to book it’s great for beginners, intermediate, and Pros alike. However, according to the reviews, this book is best geared towards the beginner and intermediate level DIY’ers who just want to get the job done correctly without talking shop or hobnobbing about theory.
This book has everything you need to know to get started with creating your own trim work. Learn how to make the right cuts using the right tools as shown in color detail inside the book. And follow along with the detailed plans also included inside, to achieve that professional-looking beautiful trim throughout your home.
This book has everything you need to know about home repair and home Improvement making it an awesome gift option for home flippers. They will absolutely appreciate having an all-in-one resource to help them find quick info and get the job done right, especially in areas without internet service just yet.
Sick of looking at your ugly house? Let’s Fix that!
The Black & Decker Series:
Whether or not you are a contractor or a homeowner, this is a great book to have on hand whenever you are looking at updating any Electrical, Plumbing, or Construction tasks in your home improvement projects. This is a great reference guide to keep on hand to make sure your home is following legal guidelines.
Black & Decker The Book of Home How-to, Updated 2nd Edition: Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair & Improvement
This book is more of a tutorial that shows you how to do something from start to finish instead of actually showing you how to repair it. It gives a good introduction to anyone who’s looking to get started in home improvement. But be prepared to supplement with lots of video tutorials from outside sources to give you a more complete look & guided hand holding on the specifics of how to fix and repair broken things in your home.
If you’re looking for ideas on how to finish your basement this is a great book to use as a resource for doing just that. This book gives you basic fundamental ideas of things like wall framing, Installing egress windows, as well as fixing creaky stairs. Think of it more like a basement renovation starter guide to give you an idea of which DIY projects you can do and which ones you should hire a contractor to complete for you.
Here are more books on home improvement to read before your home renovation project:
How Your House Works: A Visual Guide to Understanding and Maintaining Your Home
What Your Contractor Can’t Tell You: The Essential Guide to Building and Renovating
Building an Affordable House: Trade Secrets to High-Value, Low-Cost Construction
NKBA Kitchen and Bathroom Planning Guidelines with Access Standards
To Summarize:
TLDR? Want to find out all that you can to make sure your DIY home renovations project goes smoothly without a hitch.
Here is a list of the 25 Books On DIY You Need To Read Before Your Home Renovations Project:
- The Reader’s Digest Series:
- The Family Handyman Series:
- The Dare To Repair Series:
- The Ultimate Guide Series:
- The Black & Decker Series:
Create your dream home without going house poor. Find out how to do it like the Pros for less!
