How We Test & Review Products
What sets DIY Works apart from websites of a similar nature is that we actually put products we recommend through thorough testing. We do this to ensure that you (as the reader) get the most reliable and credible buying advice.
If you want to gauge an idea of what goes into our testing and how we review products, keep reading for further information.
Testing Environment
If you haven't read our about page yet, as a team, we carry out a number of property renovations as well as maintain multiple rentals and Airbnbs. Therefore, we don't have a fixed testing environment because we work on a number of properties throughout the year.
The properties that we work on vary in condition because most renovations require extensive work. Therefore, this allows us to rip everything out of the property and build it up from scratch (as shown in the photo). This makes for great content for the website and it's the reason why we stand out from the crowd. This is because we can include unique imagery and videos and prove that we actually test out the products we recommend.
We also have our own office that's located at 89 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9PG. However, this is primarily an office space used to meet as a group to discuss the website and create content.
Hands On Product Reviews
Getting hands-on with the products or tools we are reviewing is what sets us apart from other DIY websites. All the photos and videos are taken whilst we are testing out the products and we are stating this because we want to provide you with evidence of actual testing. We have recently expanded our presence to YouTube and you can join us on our channel as we explore all things DIY. In terms of our hands-on reviews, they come in the form of a single product review (more thorough testing of a single product) and product round-ups.
Product Roundups/Best Of Guides
Product Roundups/Best Of Guides are the most popular type of article on DIY Works. They are designed to provide the reader with a selection of products that are the best of each category. For example, if the reader is looking for the best cordless drill, we would provide them with drills that are the best overall, best for performance, best budget as well as many other categories.
These product roundups are created from our testing and knowledge of the products. They are also the most time-consuming to create because sometimes, we may need to test up to 10 products in order to create the roundup. However, we may also use our experience and the latest research on the product to state within the roundup our thoughts.
Unlike single product reviews, the roundup style of articles requires updating quite regularly due to new products hitting the market. Therefore, as new products hit the market, we may drop out older products so that you get an up-to-date list of the best available.
How Do We Choose What To Review?
DIY is something our team do every single day and getting our hands on new products is not only great for us to use but it also means we can provide accurate and credible buying advice. In terms of what we review, we always try to test new products from reputable brands that we know our readers will want to buy or those that are currently trending.
To obtain the products to test, we either buy them outright ourselves or they get gifted by brands. However, if they are gifted by brands, we don't agree to any pre-conditions that dictate how we test or our comments regarding the product. This is because we would never recommend a product we wouldn't use ourselves. You can read more about this on our editorial process page.
Testing, Experience & Research
Our product reviews come from thorough testing, years of experience and the latest research. We take great pride in how we test and we display our experience within our content. If you want to read more about our team and what we do, visit our about page.
