The Top Five DIY Sites On The Web
When your bank account is short and your list of home improvement projects is long, it’s time to Do-It-Yourself, also known as DIY. Beyond saving money, successful DIY projects also give you the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve accomplished something significant. It’s a great source of pride to be able to look at a newly remodeled bathroom, or freshly laid carpet, and realize that it was your time and toil that was solely responsible.
Of course, home improvements projects can also be daunting and intimidating. They often involve skills and tools that are unfamiliar to you. Not to mention that you’re performing these DIY projects on your most valuable investment—your home. If you screw up it could be much worse than just a ruined two-by-four; it could be a huge hole in your living room wall.
Fortunately, you have a great weapon at your disposal to combat home improvement ignorance. It’s the called the internet. That’s why HomeGuide411 launched an exhausted search and found the top five DIY sites on the Web. With the knowledge and experience contained in following five DIY sites—as well as having the right tools and some serious gumption—you’ll be able to tackle any home improvement project you wish.
1. DoItYourself.com
Established in 1995, this independent DIY Web site has helped thousands of homeowners tackle a myriad of projects from heating and ventilation to electrical and lighting. In addition to tons of well-written How-To articles, DoItYourself.com also contains plenty of instructional videos. Moreover, this easy-to-navigate Web site has a forum where you can discuss all aspects of DIY projects with other home owners. This great dot-com averages more than two million unique visitors a month and Time Magazine named it “One of the Top 50 Sites in the World.”
2. Diynetwork.com
This site is the official Web presence of the extremely popular DIY Network which can be seen in more than 50 million homes. The network’s well-designed and welcoming site features a wealth of detailed instructions on hundreds of home improvement projects. Diynetwork.com uses text, images, and videos to instruct homeowners. In addition to a vast number of How-tos, the site also contains an interactive program guide, message boards, and blogs. Our favorite thing about the DIY Network’s Web site is its garage expert, former professional wrestler Bill Goldberg.
3. Easy2diy.com
What we like most about Easy2DIY.com is how it’s organized. You can search for projects and/or products three different ways: by category, by project location, and by task. Easy2diy.com is full of interactive project tutorials containing simple step-by-step instructions. Be prepared to navigate through a lot of product reviews. In fact, they are front and center. At first you might think Easy2diy.com is more concerned with advertising than it is about home improvement, but don’t be fooled. The site’s tutorials are extremely easy to follow and the product reviews are very thorough and indispensible if you’re looking to buy.
4. DIYIdeas.com
The three previous sites have featured “hardcore” DIY projects (plumbing, flooring, HVAC, and stuff like that). While DIYIdeas.com contains some of those big time projects this site is more focused on less involved tasks for improving the look and atmosphere of your home—stuff like painting, sewing, and crafts. Another nice feature of this Web site is its “Quick Projects” section. Here you’ll find a bunch DIY projects you can undertake in an afternoon that will, for example, add accents to you décor, enhance your storage space, and update outmoded furniture. DIYIdeas.com is part of the Better Homes and Gardens Network.
5. Homedoctor.net
What sets Homedoctor.net apart from the other four sites is its planning advice. This site contains a great deal of information on materials, tools, prep work, and everything else you’ll need to know before tackling a major DIY project. Like the other DIY sites on our list, Homedoctor.net covers a wide range of topics, everything from basements and roofing to doors and windows. Their expertly written articles are quite comprehensive and easy to follow. Each one comes with a helpful list of links to similar articles just in case you need additional instruction on a related project. No doubt about it, Homedoctor.net is a great site for the serious do-it-yourselfer.
