Free guides for DIY and household repairs.  

You might find these articles useful if you are taking on a Do It Yourself household project or when selecting a company to provide that service for you. You'll find advice on a wide range of DIY projects from home improvement, interior painting and decorating, gardening, landscaping, audio visual installations, plumbing and gas central heating to electrical lighting and repairs, handyman jobs and carpet fitting.

DIY videos and how to guides

• How to video guides

Useful articles about London and the UK

• A comprehensive list of London Postcodes
• A comprehensive list of Greater London Postcodes
• A comprehensive list of Counties in the United Kingdom

DIY Painting and decorating advice

• Painting the interior of your home
• Painting the exterior of your house
• Tips for hanging wallpaper
• Tips for painting a house
• Interior painting and decorating tips
• Ideas for painting and decorating your home
• Painting and decorating health and safety advice
• Exterior painting: A guide for painting the outside of your house
• How to get the best paint finish on woodwork and wood
• Quick and easy painting and decorating
• Preparing for an interior painting project
• Home improvement - painting the outside walls of your house
• Getting a smooth finish - a guide to painting & decorating
• How to hang wallpaper professionally
• Plastering - A guide for a professional finish
• House plastering - Why you should use a professional plasterer.
• Building a plasterboard wall
• Tips for plastering a wall
• Exterior painting and decorating
• Money saving tips - paint your own house!
• Painting outside houses made easy
• The 5 most expensive paintings in the world (for sale)
• The World's greatest painters and artists

DIY landscape gardening advice

• How to plant a tree
• Landscape gardening - tips for planting
• Great tips for installing wooden timber decking
• Garden clearance - getting the best out of your garden
• The different types of garden plants pots
• Tips for timber decking projects
• How to create a beautiful garden and hire a gardener to help
• The different types of garden fencing available
• Planning to build a garden
• Using a garden tidying service in London
• Hiring a landscape gardener in London
• What type of lawn mower should I purchase?
• What type of wood should I use for constructing a wooden deck?
• How to build a wooden garden fence
• The best material for laying patios
• The correct way to cut down and remove a tree
• How to lay a patio. A guide for getting your paving right.
• A review of the top 5 garden landscaping companies in London
• The best plants to grow in a greenhouse
• The 5 largest trees in the world
• The tallest hedge in the world and the stories behind it
• The 5 longest living trees in the UK
• The top 5 deadliest plants in the world
• The five longest living trees
• The five longest living plants
• The top five carnivorous plants in the world
• The five best garden designers in the world
• The best way to plant a tree
• The ten best office plants
• The best plants for your office

• What is radiator power flushing?
• The advantages of underfloor heating
• What does a plumber do?
• A guide for preventing costly central heating repairs
• Installing a new gas boiler - legal requirements
• Plumbing services - What a plumber can do.
• What is a Landlords Gas Safety Certificate?
• 5 ways to save money by keeping your central heating system in good condition
• Power flushing - what is it?
• How to find a good Gas Safe engineer in London
• More tips for finding a good gas heating engineer in London
• The cost of installing a new gas boiler
• Frequently asked questions about the boiler scrappage scheme in England and Wales
• Domestic solar water heating systems
• How regular servicing extends the life of your boiler
• Maintaining and servicing your boiler
• Finding a professional plumber or gas engineer
• Installing a domestic or commercial boiler - things you should know
• When should you replace a gas boiler?
• Guidelines for gas boiler repairs
• The benefits of solar heating in London
• The advantages of power flushing your radiators
• A few good reasons to get a professional boiler maintenance service in London
• 5 good reasons to replace your gas boiler
• How to unblock a drain
• The top 5 plumbing companies in London
• Preparing your home for winter

Plumbing & drains advice

• Drain clearance - what is it?
• What is a CCTV drainage Survey?
• How to repair a drain without digging it up
• What are the causes of blocked toilets and how do I clear them?
• What is the cause of a blocked shower?
• What are the causes of blocked baths?
• What are the causes of a blocked sink?
• How do I change a pair of taps?
• What is drain jetting?
• Who are Kinetico?
• What is a Water Softening System?
• What is reverse osmosis?

Locksmith and glazing advice

• How to fit a door lock
• How to pick a lock
• How to open a combination lock
• How to open a padlock
• How to open a door when you've lost the key
• How to replace a broken window
• The top 5 bicycle locks
• The top 5 front door locks
• How to fit a window lock
• The top 5 safes to buy
• The top 5 burglar alarms to buy
• How to fit a burglar alarm

Domestic electrical advice

• Should I install electric solar panels?
• 8 tips to reduce your energy bills
• The best way to change a fuse in a fuseboard
• The best way to change an electrical plug socket
• Electrical safety law in the UK
• The qualifications needed to be an electrician
• The best way to change an electrical light socket
• Qualifications needed to be an electrician
• The best way to electrically rewire a house
• Why do I need a Periodic Inspection Report?
• PAT testing explained
• Part P building regulations and electricity
• Electrical safety and the law
• Electrical equipment safety regulations for landlords
• Top five causes of electrical faults
• What is an electrical Periodic Inspection Report?
• Common electrical faults - top electrical faults likely to affect a domestic electrical system
• Why Landlords need a PIR (Periodic Inspection Report)
• What is Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)?
• What is Visual electricial inspection and why would I need one?
• How to reduce your energy bills
• Gas and electrical safety advice for landlords renting property
• The top 5 electrical repair companies in London
• How to save money on your household bills

• A guide for installing a satellite dish
• Why does it cost so much to install a TV aerial?
• The 3 types of TV wall mounting bracket

Carpets and carpet fitting advice

• How to choose the right carpet
• 5 carpet myths and tips for making carpet last longer
• Myths about carpet care and how to look after carpet
• Complaints about Serviceteam
• Luxury woollen carpet. What you should be covering your floor with
• How to lay vinyl flooring
• The best types of fibres and blends for carpet

Computer repair advice

• Smartphones. Why you should buy one
• What's good about a netbook and what's bad about a netbook
• How to remove a computer virus
• How to get data off a broken hard drive
• How to set up a wireless home network
• How to install Windows 7 onto your computer - part one
• How to install Windows 7 onto your computer - part two
• Good methods and advice for backing up your computer data
• Tips and advice on how to speed up your computer
• Advice on how to speed up your computer - part two
• What is the best browser for surfing the internet?
• What to look for when buying a budget computer or PC system
• The TomTom Go 710. A field test and review - driving around Europe
• 5 tips for getting the best out of your TV and surround sound set
• The 3G network. Why it's so bad and why you can't connect to it in London
• What to look for when buying a laptop
• How to use Anti-virus software to remove a virus
• When should I replace my computer?
• How to backup a hard drive
• How to repair a hard drive
• How a personal computer works
• A brief history of the silicon chip
• A brief history of the computer
• What is a web browser?
• The most popular computer languages
• What are the most popular games consoles?
• Inside secrets of the Playstation 4
• Inside secrets about the Xbox 720
• What is super computer?
• iPhone 5 rumours
• What is a mainframe computer?
• The different types of web browser

Computers: Interesting companies and interesting people

• A brief history of the BBC Microcomputer
• A brief history of ARM
• Who was Jon Von Neumann?
• Who was Robert Noyce?
• A brief history of Google
• A brief history of Panasonic
• A brief history of Samsung
• A brief history of Intel Corporation
• A brief history of Microsoft
• A brief history of Apple computers
• What companies Microsoft might buy next
• The ten largest Microsoft aquisitions
• 10 companies bought by Microsoft
• Why Microsoft should buy Nokia
• A history of dell computers
• A history of Sony
• Why outsource to India?
• A history of IBM
• A brief history of Nokia
• Who is Bill Gates?

Articles about Search Engine Optimisation

• A brief history of the search engine
• What is a search engine
• What is pay per click advertising?
• An article about Search Engine Optimization?
• How does Google Adwords work?
• A short article about Google
• A short article about Bing
• Why do I need backlinks to my site?
• Search engines and a little about them
• What is search engine marketing?
• What is search engine optimization?
• How to get backlinks
• Who is Matt Cutts?
• Who is Sergey Brin?
• Who is Larry Page?
• What is Altavista?
• A short article about Yahoo!
• What is Web CEO?
• What is Ask Jeeves?
• What is the Google Caffeine update?
• How can i make money on the internet?
• What is the Google Panda update all about?
• Serviceteam complaints

TV, IT and audio Visual advice

• 3D Television. Should I buy one?
• Smartphones & laptops - how to improve the battery life

Energy Performance

• What is the energy saving trust?
• The best ways of generating your own home energy
• Hot water tank and pipe insulation and how much you can save
• Draught proofing - what is it and how much can I save?
• How much money can I save by insulating my loft?
• What is floor insulation and how much money will it save?
• What is cavity wall insulation and how much money will it save?
• 5 reasons to use energy saving light bulbs
• Why do I need a commercial energy performance certificate?
• How can I improve the energy efficiency of my home and save money?
• Serviceteam complaints about Serviceteam ltd
• What is a domestic energy performance certificate?
• Why do I need an On Construction energy performance certificate?
• A technical guide to reducing heat loss in the home
• European Commission and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)
• How can I reduce my carbon footprint?
• Information on energy saving grants and discounts from the government and energy suppliers
• How much money can I save by installing solid wall insulation
• How to become a commercial energy assessor
• How to save money by installing double glazing

Top 5 reviews - the best buys for gadgets and white goods

• A review of the top 5 smartphones 2011
• A review of the top 5 desktop computers for business 2011
• A review of the top 5 budget laptops 2011
• A review of the top 5 business laptops 2011
• A review of the top 5 camcorders
• A review of the top 5 Laser printers
• A review of the top 5 Inkjet printers
• A review of the top 5 tablet PCs in 2011
• A review of the top 5 Sat Navs
• A review of the top 5 music centres and Hi-fis
• A review of the top 5 netbook PCs in 2011
• A review of the top 5 desktop PCs in 2011
• A review of the top 5 laptops in 2010
• A review of the top 5 3D LCD televisions
• A review of the top 5 digital cameras
• A review of the top 5 entertainment gadgets
• The top 5 washing machines
• A review of the 5 mobile apps
• The top 5 52" LCD televisions
• The top 5 ipod docks
• A review of the top 5 digital radios
• The top 5 Blu-Ray DVD players to buy in the UK
• Top 5 antivirus software
• A review of the top 5 surround sound systems
• A review of the top 5 headphones
• A review of the top 5 digital projectors
• A review of the top 5 computer games of 2010
• Top 5 smart phones
• Top 5 anti-spam software programs
• Top 5 budget mobile phones
• A review of the top 5 digital SLR cameras
• A review of the top 5 internet radio stations
• A review of the top 5 electric lawn mowers
• A review of the top 5 petrol lawn mowers
• A review of the top 5 electric strimmers to buy
• A review of the top 5 window locks to buy
• A review of the top 5 electric screwdrivers to buy
• A review of the top 5 electric drills to buy
• A review of the top 5 electric chainsaws
• A review of the top 5 wheelbarrows
• A review of the top 5 ride-on lawn mowers
• The top 5 car alarms to buy
• A review of the top 5 padlocks
• The top 5 front doors to buy for security
• The top 5 hardest cars to break into

General articles of interest

• What can you buy with $14 Trillion?
• Serviceteam reviews of complaints and review sites for poor service
• The ten best things to do in Hong Kong
• The ten best things to do in Singapore
• The ten best things to do in Sydney
• How to spot a cowboy builder
• What to do if you're a victim of a cowboy builder

Strange articles about services where the writer has lost the plot

• How to open a safe
• What is a computer helpdesk?
• Installing a garden water feature
• How to look after and protect wooden garden decking
• How to tidy your garden
• The near future of computing
• Building a roof top garden
• What is IT support?
• How to create an outdoor living room in your conservatory
• The best types of garden lighting
• How to get the most out of your garden
• How to build a stone garden wall
• Five popular types of garden fencing
• Wooden garden fencing in London - apparently why you need it
• How to grow plants in a greenhouse
• How to grow plants from seeds
• What is Linux?

Just plain badly written articles

• What is search engine optimisation?
• What is search engine marketing or SEM?
• What food should I grow in my garden?
• What are the best apples to grow in my English garden?
• How to remove a garden mole
• How to remove Japanese Knotweed
• What are the types of plum to grow in my English garden?
• What are the types of pear to grow in my English garden?
• What type of tree should I plant in my English garden?

The best articles?

• What is central heating?
• A guide to installing a combination boiler
• A guide to competent persons schemes
• Super cool designs
• Cowboy Tradesmen, Rogue traders, cowboy traders - Serviceteam
• Serviceteam's guide to finding the right trademan or builder