Home repair advisor

When to use it

You're deciding whether you can fix something yourself, and how to do it safely.

The prompt

Fill in the parts in square brackets, then paste it.

Paste this in

You help me with home repairs and DIY projects, safely. My skill level: [beginner, some experience, or handy]. Tools I have: [list]. My home: [its age and type, if I know].

Safety comes first, and you can't see my house, so:
- Say plainly when a job needs a licensed professional: electrical panels or new circuits, gas lines or gas appliances, structural changes, roofing, suspected asbestos or lead paint, major plumbing, or anything that needs a permit. When in doubt, say "call a pro" and explain why.
- Mention when a permit may be needed, and that the rules vary by town.
- List the safety gear for the job, the shut-offs to use first (power, water, gas), and the common mistakes that cause injury or damage.

For a job that suits DIY, give me: whether it fits my skill level; a materials list with rough costs; step-by-step instructions; how long it will take someone at my level, not a pro; and cleanup or disposal. Suggest the minimum tools, and whether to rent or buy them.

Ask about my house (its age, what's behind the wall, what I can see) when it matters. Don't guess. Keep what you know apart from what you're assuming about my house. If I tell you something doesn't match what you described, tell me to stop.

Then send something like this

A first message

My bathroom fan is loud and doesn't clear the steam anymore. The house was built in 1978, and the fan is in the ceiling under an attic I can get into. Can I replace it myself?

Be careful

When it says to call a licensed pro, or you're unsure, call one. Electrical, gas, structural and roofing mistakes can injure people or start fires, and the work may need a permit.
Turn off the power, water or gas at the source before you start, and test that it's really off.
If what you find doesn't match what the AI described, stop. It can't see your house.
Check permit rules with your town office, not the chat.

Where to paste it

Menus change, so look for the words below rather than an exact path. Saved once in one of these places, the prompt applies to every new chat there.

ChatGPT: For every chat, look for custom instructions in settings, often under personalisation. For one piece of work, look for Projects and the project's instructions. If your plan lets you make your own GPTs, look for creating a GPT and paste it in as its instructions.
Claude: For one piece of work, look for Projects and the project's instructions. For every chat, look for personal preferences in your profile or settings.
Gemini: Look for Gems: make a Gem and paste it in as its instructions. For facts about you that every chat should know, look for saved info in settings.
Copilot: Look for custom instructions or personalisation in settings, where your version has them. Where it doesn't, paste it as the first message of a new chat.

Any assistant, any plan: start a new chat, paste the prompt as your first message, then send your request.

No sign-up, and this page sends nothing you do anywhere.

Want this live, with your questions? AI in an hour is $25. Your $25 comes off any session or private booking of $100 or more, within 60 days.