There has been a huge increase in DIY renovations inspired by TV shows, the building industry is bracing itself for a flood of illegal and dodgy DIY jobs, all the renovation shows on TV don’t give a complete picture of the amount of preparation and work that is required to complete a project on time, budget and complies with the local authorities, a half hour show makes it appear effortless in say transforming a dilapidated bathroom into a modern sleek bathroom that looks terrific, the reality is most older bathrooms can have structural damage to the timbers due to water penetration over a long period of time, the walls could be lined with fibro sheeting containing asbestos, some of the paint could contain lead, the possibility of inadequate ventilation that contributes to mould and or mildew, there is a vast amount of variable issues that only a professional contractor should undertake, and no work should be carried out on electrical or plumbing unless you are qualified and licensed. Not one renovation is the same nearly all will have varying degrees of technical difficulty that should only be carried out by experienced contractors, without a doubt it would be far cheaper and a lot less stressful than trying completing the project alone. The general public sees these shows and the jobs appear easy and look terrific. But you do not see the work done in the background, for example they would pull a wall down to create an open area without realising the walls are helping to hold up the ceiling or the wall is a load bearing or bracing wall, DIY are not vigilant in obtaining building approvals. If you are about to buy a property that has had renovations done it would be prudent to verify that the work has been approved by the local authority, I see sub standard renovations during building inspections almost on a daily basis, don’t chance it get the right advice before committing yourself and allways employ fully qualified and licenced trademen.