What DIY Can I Do By Myself?

What DIY Can I Do Legally?

The old saying is that an Englishman’s home is his castle, and many of us think that we can do any sort of work inside our homes without having to get permission from anyone. It’s not quite as straightforward as that though, and if you are doing anything more than painting walls and hanging pictures, you have to know where you stand legally before getting the sledgehammer out.

Tenants

If you rent your property privately or through a social landlord, you may be very restricted in what you are and are not allowed to do. Many landlords are happy to have their tenants take an interest in the property and allow them to decorate, change the curtains and even do larger jobs such as replacing the tiles in a bathroom or kitchen. Many others forbid any sort of alterations, so the golden rule is to check your tenancy agreement and get permission from the landlord before you rush out and buy paint and wallpaper strippers.

Structural alterations

We’ve all seen the property programmes where the host explains how easy it would be to knock walls down and turn a poky kitchen into a stunning kitchen diner. In many cases it is very simple, but unless you are a structural engineer it’s not that easy to tell whether you will affect the structure of the building by knocking down walls. Any sort of structural alteration will need to be run past the Building Control department at your local Council, and this is the best place to start for some advice and information about what you need to get permission for and what you can just do immediately. Building Control’s job is to ensure that work is carried out to an adequate standard whether you get it done by a contractor or undertake the work yourself, and will issue you with a certificate once the work is complete. If you ever try to sell in the future, any prospective buyer will want to see your Building Control certificate.

Electrical Work

Many of us just call in an electrician when things need done at home, but the legal position is that there is some work you can do by yourself, and other things which either have to be done by an approved professional, or checked by the Council when complete. Homeowners can take on minor electrical work such as replacing an existing socket, changing ceiling lights or putting in new light switches by themselves without needing permission or approval. This is known as non-notifiable work. Other work, such as rewiring the house, adding in a new circuit, adding extra sockets in your kitchen or putting underfloor heating in your bedroom has to be approved to guarantee safety. This legislation is known as Part P work and again, the local Council’s Building Control department can give advice over the phone.

Permitted development

The government have recently relaxed the rules on what you can do to extend your property without needed to go through the Planning process. For example, you can convert your loft without the addition of dormer windows without Planning in many cases, although you will need to go through Building Control. You should be able to take on projects such as building a summerhouse or shed in the garden without permission, and will not need to get a building warrant for this sort of work either. The laws do vary from place to place though, and if you are living in a listed building or Conservation Area, you may not be allowed to do anything to your home without permission.

Gas

It is easy to see how a bodged gas installation can cause huge damage to a property, so the best rule is probably to steer well clear of anything boiler related. It is easy to take on routine maintenance such as bleeding the radiators or making sure your boiler is at the correct pressure, but anything involving boiler faults which means you have to take the front off the boiler should be done by a professional who is Gas Safe registered. If you are planning on installing a new gas hob, you can do it yourself if the fitment is already there and the cooker just needs plugged in, any more complex than that and you have to have an approved contractor to do the work.