For just about any builder and home improvement enthusiast, the advent of the power tool may possibly be considered as the ultimate time and labour saver. Owning the most appropriate gear will help save a lot of time of work but bear in mind they can also be very dangerous, over 5 years ago, in excess of 15,000 diy enthusiasts suffered a trip to accident and emergency having had an an incident involving a power tool.

So here are 3 beneficial tips that you should follow to protect yourself from turning into one of those statistics:

When the power tools aren t getting used, turn them off at the wall and put them away safely. This will assist avoid accidentally turning it on and causing destruction, and also eliminate people from using and potentially doing harm to themselves as well.

Ensure the area you're working in is clean because the less busy the place you're working in is, normally there's additional space to control the power tool.

When using power tools it can be vital that the spot which you are working in is correctly lighted.

Power tools absolutely are a great means of getting work completed quicker, nonetheless take care when making use of them.

Serious wrecks or cosmetic jobs?

In the UK house prices have stayed fairly high despite the recession. But will fall soon (August 2010). Just wait!

This is mainly due to a shortage of properties on the market (low volume of sales) as people don't want to sell for less than they think their place is worth - even though this figure has been inflated by the recent house price bubble. However poor condition properties are now available at lower prices, as some realism has entered the market.

Some places might look terrible but only need minor repairs, a new kitchen and bathroom, new carpets, perhaps rewiring, new heating systems etc - these are easy jobs (although costs can mount) and will be suitable for beginners. Some places might look OK at first but have major structural problems like subsidence, big damp problems, damaged roof or walls, etc. These are much bigger and expensive jobs and unless you want to take on this, avoid.

Engineers' reports will be needed as some jobs aren't even feasible, especially if your aim is to make a profit on resale. Auctions are a good place to look as properties there are often difficult to sell. But look out for serious faults such as subsidence, big damp problems, damaged structure etc as these can cost more than you might guess to fix.

Take along a professional to view, or it might cost you later. Hire a surveyor or architect, or a builder, to inspect. Often you won't really have the time to do a big study before the auction date, but a professional can usually estimate and serious problems, or (usually) advise you to walk away. If the repairs are too great, get a big discount, or walk away.