Revealed: The DIY jobs costing UK homeowners thousands in redone work

New research from BuildSafe reveals that seven in ten (70%) UK DIYers cite cost as the main reason for tackling large or tricky home improvement projects themselves, but many are ending up worse off after underestimating the time, planning and expertise required, sometimes to the point of having to redo completed work entirely.

With tradespeople expected to raise their prices by 9.5% in 2026 due to material costs, industry demand and inflation, more homeowners are turning to DIY to build the home of their dreams on a budget. But an analysis of over 900 comments from Reddit's UK DIY community by BuildSafe shows this shift comes with a heavy hidden cost.

Time and cost overruns

Time was the biggest source of regret. Some 79% of comments said the length of a project had been underestimated before starting, while 68% wished they had planned for cost overruns and hidden costs caused by delays.

One Redditor, describing their experience of building an extension, said they wished they had known how much time the work actually took, noting that the commonly quoted "eight to twelve weeks" applies to full-time tradespeople rather than someone working evenings and weekends.

Redone work and sequencing mistakes

Poor project management was another major theme. 51% of comments mentioned not knowing how to manage tradespeople, while 43% did not realise how important it was to complete work in the correct sequence.

One homeowner described tiling a room before realising the walls were not plumb, forcing them to strip the tiles out and start again. They advised others to follow the proper order of work: frame, insulation, boarding, then finish.

A confidence gap

Despite the rise in DIY ambition, confidence has not kept pace. Just over a quarter (27%) of commenters said they felt confident in their DIY abilities based on prior experience. 47% described themselves as "cautiously willing", keen to try DIY but nervous about it, while 25% said the idea of tackling jobs once reserved for tradespeople left them unsure where to even start.

The jobs best left to the professionals

According to Checkatrade, 50.4% of tradespeople say that fixing DIY disasters makes up 10 to 30% of their total callouts. The most common DIY fails they are called in to fix are tap installation (43%), pipework (41%), door fitting (34%), leaky roofs (33%) and kitchen installation (33%).

Jobs considered too risky for novices to attempt include roof tiling, larger-scale rendering and underpinning foundations, while electrical work, plumbing, roofing and structural steel installation are recommended, and in some cases legally required, to be left to professionals.

Alex Lyons, Commercial Director at BuildSafe, said:

"More and more homeowners are feeling the pressure to improve their homes on a budget and without long wait times. Smaller tasks, such as decorating or landscaping, can be doable for most novices.

"From the research we have conducted, a lot of homeowners have DIY remorse about attempting to tackle the more complicated jobs. This can be due to a lack of knowledge, experience and foresight, which could end up delaying the progress and putting the property at risk."

BuildSafe's tips for homeowners considering a large home improvement loan:

1. Do your research. Understand what the project entails and assess your experience and knowledge at each stage, so you have a realistic idea of whether you will need an expert.

2. Speak to a professional, even if you plan to DIY. They can weigh up the cost and risk involved and advise whether it's worth doing yourself or hiring help.

3. Be realistic with timings. A professional working 40 hours a week will finish a job far faster than a DIYer working evenings and weekends, sometimes taking three times as long. If time and cost both matter to you, you may need to prioritise one over the other, particularly for larger projects such as loft conversions, kitchen extensions or self-builds.

With average tradesperson wait times now stretching to 18 months and #HomeBuild making up 45% of home-related content on TikTok, the appeal of DIY shows no sign of slowing. BuildSafe advises homeowners to prioritise careful planning and expert advice, particularly for complex or structural work, to avoid costly mistakes and protect their homes.