The 3 things we'd never DIY again (and the 3 we'd absolutely repeat) – why we’re no longer trying to do everything

Committed home renovators David and Andrew Harrison-Colley (better known on Instagram as The Home Boys) are part of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing their thoughts on making a home together and living through the tricky parts. See the rest of their articles here.

There’s a particular optimism that comes with starting a renovation.

At the beginning, everything feels possible. If something looks technically achievable and saves money, you convince yourself you can probably handle it. Add a few tutorials and a free weekend, and suddenly nothing feels out of reach.

We were definitely like that in our first home - especially with all of that free time during the pandemic.

Now - several years, one London flat and two Suffolk renovations later - we still love DIY. But we approach it differently.

Not with less ambition. Just with more awareness.

Experience hasn’t made us less hands-on. It’s just made us more selective.

What we’d never DIY again

1. Pushing through when we’re exhausted

There was a time when we treated DIY like something to power through. Evenings. Weekends. 'Just one more row'.

Recently, that mindset caught up with us.

We were mid-way through tiling a section and, determined to finish, decided to keep going despite being tired. Somewhere along the way, the laser level wasn’t set up quite correctly. It was only slightly off at first - barely noticeable. But with each new row, the slant became more obvious.

By the time we stepped back and properly checked it, four full rows had crept off-line.

We had to strip them back and retile the entire section.

It wasn’t catastrophic. But it was completely avoidable.

The frustrating part wasn’t the mistake - it was knowing that if we’d simply stopped an hour earlier and picked it up fresh the next day, we would almost certainly have caught it straight away.

Renovation has taught us there’s a difference between being committed and being stubborn.

Now, if we’re tired or rushing, we stop. Especially on jobs that rely on precision. Momentum matters - but not at the cost of undoing work later.

2. DIY that creates pressure rather than progress

We’ve also learned that not all DIY is equal.

Some jobs create momentum. Others quietly create pressure.

A recent example was our custom staircase installation. On the surface, it might have been tempting to treat it like a standard fit. But once we realised it involved re-levelling sections of the upstairs floors to get everything aligned properly, we knew it wasn’t something to experiment with.

This wasn’t just about installing treads. It was structural. Precise. Interconnected with everything else upstairs.

Bringing the professionals back in wasn’t the cheapest option in the short term. But it prevented what could have become a much bigger issue later - both visually and structurally.

Earlier in our renovation life, we might have tried to take more of that on ourselves. Now, we ask whether doing so would genuinely move the project forward - or quietly add weeks of stress.

Protecting the overall flow of the renovation has become more important than protecting our pride.

3. DIY for the sake of proving we can

There was definitely a phase where doing everything ourselves felt like part of the story.

We’d start jobs late in the day because we wanted to tick them off. Push to finish something just to say it was done. Take on fiddly details that added hours of effort for results most people would never notice.

And while there’s pride in that determination, there’s also a fine line between commitment and stubbornness.

Now, we’re far more willing to pause and ask: are we doing this because it genuinely makes sense - or because we want to prove we can?

Experience has softened us in the best way.

We still love being hands-on. But we’re no longer interested in DIY as a badge of honour. If outsourcing something protects our energy, improves the finish, or keeps the wider project moving calmly, we’re far more comfortable making that call.

The goal isn’t to win at renovation.

It’s to enjoy living in the result.

DIY we’d do all over again

Thankfully, there are just as many decisions we’d repeat without hesitation.

1. The DIY that gives us flexibility

Fitting our own kitchen didn’t just save money. It gave us flexibility.

Our original layout was a simple run of cabinetry along the back wall with a large island positioned neatly in front. It looked balanced and symmetrical on paper. But once we started actually living in the space - stacking pans, storing vintage china, navigating real-life clutter - it became clear that it wasn’t quite working.

Because we’d built it ourselves, we were able to pivot.

We added an extra run of base units down the left-hand wall, creating an L-shape that dramatically improved storage and flow. We shifted the island slightly and reduced its size. It’s no longer perfectly symmetrical - but it works better.

If we’d handed the entire design and build over to a kitchen company from the outset, that kind of change would have been far more complicated and expensive.

That’s the kind of DIY we would absolutely repeat - not just for the savings, but for the control and adaptability it gave us.

2. Jobs that shape the feel of the house

There are certain elements that define how a home feels day to day.

The way light moves through the hallway. The warmth underfoot in winter. The contrast between old beams and newer finishes. The way vintage pieces soften the sharper lines of an extension.

When we invest our own time into those foundational elements, the connection to the house feels deeper - because we didn’t just choose them, we built them in.

Hard work doesn’t put us off.

But now we’re clearer about which hard jobs genuinely elevate the space - and which simply drain us.

3. Repeat what we know works

One of the biggest shifts in our approach has been letting go of the need to constantly reinvent ourselves.

When we began the cottage renovation, we briefly questioned whether we should try something completely different - a cooler palette, a sharper finish, a departure from materials we’d loved before.

But the more we discussed it, the more we realised we were second-guessing ourselves simply because it was new.

Repetition isn’t a lack of imagination. It’s clarity.

If something works beautifully in your life - in your light, with your furniture, within your habits - there’s strength in refining it rather than replacing it.

Experience hasn’t made us more adventurous.

It’s made us more certain.

The real difference now

The biggest difference between how we renovated our first flat and how we’re renovating now isn’t skill.

It’s selectivity.

We’re more conscious of:

• Where our time creates real impact
• Where a professional finish is worth every penny
• When momentum matters more than perfection
• When to push
• And when to pause

We still get stuck in. We still take on ambitious projects.

But we’re no longer trying to do everything.

And perhaps that’s what experience really gives you - not just practical ability, but perspective.

Because renovation isn’t a test of endurance.

It’s a long-term relationship with your home.

And knowing when to put the tools down can be just as important as knowing how to use them.