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THE popularity of home improvement programmes such as Changing Rooms, Home Front and House Doctor has led to a DIY boom, with more and more people deciding to redecorate their homes instead of moving.
And to help prevent too many DIY disasters there are some great websites offering advice.
www.homebase.co.uk has detailed illustrated guides on how to complete all kinds of furniture projects from building a baby-changing unit to making a Shaker style cupboard doors. There are also many (ambitious) decorative ideas including making a stained glass window.
Perhaps more useful is the calculator which helps users to convert metres to yards and estimate the number of tiles required for a project and the DIY terms glossary is good if you don't know your cap-nut from your cornice or your flute from your fuse board.
B&Q's website is www.diy.com. Their DIY advice section is broken into easy to navigate sections, from building and carpentry to gardening and decorating.
Topics are all headed "How to" and give step-by-step instructions on how to complete a number of tasks like how to add a radiator, how to lay a laminate floor, how to install an electric shower and so on.
Helpfully, all tasks are given a skill level, so you know whether you can tackle the task as a first timer or whether you need to be an experienced DIY'er.
If you are using the Wickes website, www.wickes.co.uk, you will need to download the "Good Idea" leaflets, which are designed to give customers project ideas, guide them through numerous jobs around the home and advise what materials are needed.
It's easy to download the leaflets using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Alternatively, there is an archive of frequently asked questions from users with brief but comprehensive answers below which are helpful.
www.growyourhome.com is a fairly new website which estimates the cost of your DIY project (including labour). Filling in the online boxes will allow you to measure the building area, choose your materials and a builder.
Once you know what you are doing, you just need to get the right equipment, which is where www.hss.co.uk - the world's largest tool and equipment hire chain - comes in.
The site is very comprehensive and allows customers to hire any equipment they need online. If you get into a sticky situation, log on to www.diy.doctor.org.uk for help. The site offers tips, tricks and advice from qualified tradesmen. The site is simple to use, and once you are a member you can email any DIY question and are guaranteed a quick response.
www.diyfixit.com works along the same principle, but all of the advice is stored in a directory rather than giving the option to email in questions.
Another similar site is www.thepropertymedics.com. Users can email questions on property matters and DIY and the experts will post a reply personally within a day or two.
If it all goes wrong and you need to call in a builder to rectify what you've done, check out the directory of approved tradesmen at www.qualitymark.org.uk.
The site is sponsored by the government.
It's also a good idea to log on to www.quotecheckers.co.uk. They claim to give an independent assessment on any quote you receive for work in your home - they charge a minimum £29.99 fee.