DIY

Easy DIY home hacks to improve your life

man installing floating shelves

Danny Baggs

Posted May 04, 2022

Could your home use a bit of decluttering or remodelling? Here are easy DIY home hacks for Marie Kondo levels of organisation.

A clean and uncluttered home relies upon excellent organisation, but many homes have at least one cluttered room, which can bring on feelings of anxiety or guilt. Make it a goal this weekend to carry out one of these DIY home organisation tips to help you declutter your space - a tidier space can lead to a more relaxed mind and help you feel happier.

“DIY can definitely save you money, teach you skills and give you a real sense of satisfaction,” says RACV Head of Trades Kieran Davies. "But you do need to be realistic about your abilities.

“Before taking on a DIY task, you’ll need to assess your skill level, confidence and most importantly safety,” advises Davies. “If you’re a little unsure, avoiding mistakes by hiring a professional could end up being cheaper in the long run.”

Watch some simple tricks to elevate your kitchen space | RACV

Four DIY home improvement ideas

 

Conceal electrical cords and power cables

It's important to organise your power cables so that they stay untangled and don’t become trip hazards. If you use power boards and struggle to remember which cord is which, double a piece of washi tape (a type of masking tap) around each cord to create a mini flag near the plug. You can write what the cord belongs to on this flag, so you’ll never have to follow a cord through a tangle to its source again.

Keeping cords concealed from view also makes a home look instantly tidier. For offices and entertainment systems, you can hook cords to the back of your desk, TV unit and other furniture using clear cord clips. Choose a brand like 3M Command that uses mounting strips rather than nails or screws to attach the hooks. This makes the hooks easy to hang and remove without leftover residue: perfect for renters. For longer cables that need to traverse a room (e.g. extension cords), grab a skirting board cord cover that can adhere to a wall’s skirting board. These covers keep cables almost invisible, especially if you paint them to match your walls.

Want a more professional look? Book a trusted electrician to hide cords you won’t need to move in the walls. “When it comes to plumbing and electrical, going with a licensed professional isn’t just a good idea,” said Davies. “It’s often the law and the only way to keep yourself and your home safe.”

Use storage bins to access everything in deep kitchen cabinets

Kitchens often feature deep cabinets, and it can be difficult to reach into their depths to extract the pot or pan you need. To solve this problem, measure each cabinet and place a compatible long, shallow storage bin in its bottom, then stow your implements inside. Now you can simply pull out the box to easily access the cabinet’s entire contents.

For bonus space, attach an office file organiser or magazine holder to the inside of your cupboard door with Command hooks. This extra space is perfect for storing Tupperware and pot lids.

man and woman installing floating shelf

Floating shelves create instant, uncluttered space. Image: Getty

Create floating shelves for instant space

Maximise your home’s vertical space by installing floating shelves using these simple instructions:

  • Check the wall where you plan to install shelves for wall studs using a stud finder. Ideally, you will fix each end of the shelf bracket into the wall studs. Just run the stud finder flush to the wall while holding down its sides, and it will beep when it’s on top of a stud.

  • You can also set many stud finders to check for wires, so you don’t punch through a wall and right into a power cable.

  • If there aren’t any wall studs that you can use, grab a few wallmates that will act like studs. These usually come in bracket kits.

  • Position your bracket and use a spirit level to ensure that it’s straight by checking that the spirit level’s bubble is centred when on top of the bracket. Mark up the position of your bracket and holes with a pencil.

  • Drill a hole into the wall through your bracket’s centre point hole, then screw a wallmate into position. Grab one of your bracket kit’s screws and drill right through the wallmate.

  • Drill in your kit’s remaining screws to each bracket end.

  • Slide your shelf onto the bracket. Screw in your final two short screws through the shelf’s pre-drilled bottom holes into the bracket: this stops your floating shelf from falling off.

Make sure to leave at least 30cm gap between each shelf in order to fit most standard books and decorative objects.   

rolled white towels

Rolling towels can save closet space. Image: Getty

Create the ultimate cleaning closet

Keeping your cleaning products organised can help you feel motivated to grab out the window spray or bathroom disinfectant and do a spot of cleaning.

Buy a cheap shoe organiser, hang it from your cleaning closet door, and assign each cleaning product its own slot. If you prefer to keep your cleaning products under the kitchen sink, install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles from. It will keep them upright and leave extra space below for rags, dishwasher tablets, antibacterial wipes and other cleaning gear.

Stock the closet’s shelves with small wicker baskets or bamboo boxes. Pop hand towels, cleaning rags and other small items in to contain clutter. Then roll your towels and other linen rather than folding them to make the best use of your remaining space. Simply fold your towels in half lengthwise, then roll into tubes after they’ve next been laundered.

If your closet has a clear space without shelves, attach a pegboard to the back wall. With a few handy hooks, you can hang items like dusting pans, lint rollers and microfibre dusters for easy access. 

RACV Trades can help get your home in order.
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