Carrying out a DIY job is always the best option for saving money. As this couple proves by saving over £800 by building their own under stair storage for just £175!
Homeowners Thomas and Kayleigh Firth, from Kent, were quoted nearly £1,000 to have a professional builder install the savvy hallway storage.
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Thomas, a mechanical engineer, told Latest Deals ‘My wife and I bought our first home last year and we were in need of extra storage. We thought it would be a good idea to create under stair storage, as there was no other space in the property.’
Left overwhelmed by the quotes they received, the couple decided to tackle the job themselves.
DIY under stair storage
Image credit: Thomas and Kayleigh Firth
‘Our downstairs toilet is under the stairs too, so I was unsure of what was behind the plasterboard wall. Because of this, I needed to check whether we could go ahead’ Thomas explains.
Once Thomas had investigated, he went ahead with building the DIY storage solution.
‘After removing the plasterboard wall, I constructed the framework fixing it into the concrete floor. Bracing it at the top to the underside of the stairs’.
He goes on to explain why he did so, ‘as I didn’t want the frame to move when the drawers were fully loaded and extended.’
Image credit: Thomas and Kayleigh Firth
‘I fixed the runners to the framework and made a base for the drawers to sit on. This also held the runners together, square’ says Thomas.
‘I made the drawer boxes with all the joints glued, screwed and with dowels for strength. These sat on the drawer runner frames, aligned so I could fix the doors and have them all flush.’
Image credit: Kayleigh Firth
The doors are made out of 12mm MDF. ‘I cut the angles and checked them all, before routing a decorative profile on the edges. These were glued and screwed from inside the drawer to prevent anything showing on the outside.’ It’s this attention to detail that makes this DIY job such a brilliant one.
Kayleigh did all the priming of the MDF and painting. They even added carpet tiles in the bottom of the drawers for extra flourish.
Budget hallway storage complete
Image credit: Thomas and Kayleigh Firth
‘The project went really well and it took around two weeks to do from start to finish’ he explains.
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They bought all DIY materials from Screwfix, Homebase and Wickes. ‘In terms of tools, I used a table saw, a router, a screwdriver, a hammer, a drill and a circular saw’ Thomas details.
‘My main tips for others to do the project would be to make sure the frame and runners are perfectly level and square to prevent alignment issues’ Thomas helpfully adds.
‘And always pilot drill and counter sink. Use the correct screws for the MDF to prevent splitting.’
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Would you be brave enough to tackle this DIY?