I recently became a homeowner for the first time. So for the last few months since we moved in to our new home, I’ve been doing lots of things like putting up shelves, mounting TVs on the wall, even installing a doorbell.

I’ve learned a few things in that time. (A euphemism for “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in that time”.)

• Always measure. Then measure again. And again. Seriously.
• Never use the wall plug that comes with the furniture.
• Always use a drill bit one size smaller than you think. You can always make the hole bigger; never smaller.
• Check if your door is hollow before trying to install hooks on it. (The internal doors in my recently-built house seem to be made mostly from heavy duty cardboard…)
• Measure again.