Free guides

DIY renovation guides

Plenty of renovation jobs are worth doing yourself, and we would rather tell you which ones than pretend everything needs a tradesperson. Every guide here is work commonly treated as homeowner maintenance — and every one says plainly where the line is. Worth knowing: Victoria publishes no official homeowner DIY-plumbing list at all (the one that circulates online is Western Australia’s), plumbing work over $750 needs a compliance certificate from a licensed plumber, and no electrical work is DIY here under any circumstances.

Planning

What you can and can't legally DIY in VictoriaRead first · 5 minute read · FreeThe actual legal limits on DIY bathroom and kitchen work in Victoria — plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and building permits.How to tell if your waterproofing has failedRead first · 10 minute check · FreeThe warning signs of failed bathroom waterproofing, what they mean, and why regrouting won't fix it.How to measure your bathroom before getting quotesEasy · 20 minutes · FreeWhat to measure and photograph before you call anyone — it makes quotes faster, more accurate and easier to compare.What a bathroom renovation actually costs in MelbourneRead first · 8 minute read · FreeReal 2026 Melbourne bathroom renovation costs, where the money goes, and which parts you can genuinely save on.

Bathroom

How to regrout a showerModerate · A weekend · $60–120Step-by-step guide to regrouting a shower yourself — tools, timing, cost, and how to tell when regrouting won't fix the problem.How to reseal silicone around a bath or showerEasy · 2–3 hours · $25–45How to cut out old silicone and lay a clean new bead around a bath, shower or basin — the right product, the right technique.How to remove mould from grout and siliconeEasy · 1–2 hours · $15–30What actually kills bathroom mould, what only bleaches it, and when the mould is telling you something worse.How to replace a tap washerEasy · 30–45 minutes · $5–15Replacing a worn tap washer is maintenance you can legally do yourself in Victoria. Here's how, and where the legal line sits.How to replace a showerheadEasy · 10–20 minutes · $40–200Swapping a screw-on showerhead for a like-for-like replacement is a ten-minute job. Here's how to do it without damaging the arm.How to replace a toilet seatEasy · 15–30 minutes · $40–150A fifteen-minute job that instantly refreshes a bathroom — including how to get seized fittings off.How to unblock a shower drainEasy · 30–60 minutes · $0–25Clearing a slow shower drain yourself — what works, what damages your pipes, and when the blockage is not in the bathroom at all.

Kitchen

How to replace kitchen cabinet doors and handlesModerate · A weekend · $800–3,000Changing doors and handles is one of the biggest changes you can make in a weekend. Here's how to measure, order and fit them yourself.How to paint kitchen cabinetsModerate · Two weekends · $200–450Painting laminate or timber kitchen cabinets — the preparation that decides whether it lasts five years or five months.How to adjust cabinet hinges and drawer runnersEasy · 15–45 minutes · $0Ten minutes with a screwdriver can make a whole kitchen look straight again. Here's which screw does what.How to install a tiled splashbackModerate · A weekend plus grouting · $150–500Tiling a kitchen splashback yourself — setting out, cutting around power points, and getting a straight top line.How to unblock a kitchen sinkEasy · 30–60 minutes · $0–20Clearing a blocked kitchen sink yourself — including how to open and clean the trap without flooding the cupboard.How to clean and seal a stone benchtopEasy · 1–2 hours plus curing · $40–90Which stone benchtops need sealing, which don't, and how to do it — plus what actually stains them.

Laundry

How to connect washing machine hosesEasy · 20–30 minutes · $0–60Connecting to existing taps is not licensed plumbing work, though it is not a named Victorian exemption either. How to do it without the 3am flood.

General

How to patch a wall after removing tilesModerate · Two to three days with drying · $60–150Removing tiles usually takes chunks of plaster with it. Here's how to get the wall flat enough to paint.How to fix a sticking doorEasy · 30–90 minutes · $0–20Doors that catch, drop or won't latch — how to diagnose the cause before you start planing anything.

Longer reads

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