A MAN is encouraging people to get handy during the coronavirus "lockdown" through a social-media based DIY challenge.

Freelance creative Daniel Lovatt has been renovating his home for the past two-and-a-half-years, and building a following on Instagram, where he documents his DIY and interior work.

The 29-year-old, from Darlington, has launched a three-hour do-it-yourself challenge on the platform, where participants can only use materials in their house, in a bid to entertain and inspire people during self-isolation.

He said: “You can only use what’s already in the house, this way we all stay in, and out of trouble, while getting creative and not going stir crazy. It’s really just keeping people motivated and to provide motivation.”

Mr Lovatt renovated his whole home, with the intention of refurbishing it and then selling it, but he has now “fallen in love with it”, and is urging people to build or upcycle something in just three hours, meaning parents now home-schooling can get involved.

“I did a lot of the house myself so have learned DIY to save money,” the self-prescribed enthusiast said.

“There is no working at the moment and I’m doing it anyway, so I hope the challenge will inspire others to try something new and be creative.”

Using the #lockdowndiychallenge hashtag, Mr Lovatt is planning to build a shelf and redecorate a room, as well as other things while social distancing.

“For me, things are never finished. Because of my job, I’m constantly trying out new ideas in my house and seeing if they stick, then I can use those ideas at work,” the interior and visual merchandise freelancer said.

“I’m quite handy and creative so this works out.”

For those doing DIY for the first time, he added: “You have to make a few mistakes before you succeed. It is all experience for the next project you do, and I have plenty of mistakes

“The biggest thing for me is not measuring twice and cutting a something too short. This can get costly as you have to go out and buy new materials Other than that, DIY is quite fixable.”

His key advice is to research, plan everything, from the project to its tools, and know limits as “that’s where mistakes are made”.

Visit @LookWeBoughtAHouse on Instagram.