Mike showing his building prowess at age 8!
Who Is Mike Edwards?
Mike is the owner of Build Doctor, a resource for homeowners and builders involved with large scale projects. He is also Founder of the website DIY Doctor (www.diydoctor.org.uk)
Mike Edwards launched DIY Doctor in November 2000. The idea sprang from witnessing a poor customer experience in a DIY shop—where sales staff lacked the trade knowledge to help properly. With his building background, Mike stepped in to assist a customer, which led him to propose a Q&A service to the retailer.
He offered to provide building advice to shoppers informally, but the retailer’s response—offering publicity in exchange for money—didn’t sit right with him. So, he took the initiative and created a website where he and his building team could answer real questions from homeowners and DIYers free of charge.
DIY Doctor
DIY Doctor’s success was noticed by the BBC who have occasionally invited Mike to appear on TV and radio programmes. He has also been guest speaker at a number of large Home Improvement shows including the Ideal Homes show and National Home Building and Renovation shows.
In March 2025 Mike sold DIY Doctor to pursue Build Doctor and help Home-Owners achieve the bigger dream of building, extending or renovating a house. Meanwhile DIY Doctor, under its new ownership, is still one of the UK’s leading home improvement websites, attracting thousands of visitors each month. It provides projects, advice, safety tips, tool reviews, and how-to content, all curated by qualified tradespeople. Go take a look!
Mike is also a published author.
Master Basic DIY (Teach Yourself)
Mike Edwards is the author of Master Basic DIY, part of the Teach Yourself series. First published in 2010, it’s now in its fourth edition, and remains a go-to resource for homeowners.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Master-Basic-DIY-Teach-Yourself/dp/147361208X
The user reviews show it’s a comprehensive and accessible introduction to home repairs, combining simple guides with professional insight.
Why His Work Matters
Accessibility
Mike built DIY Doctor to empower homeowners with free, reliable advice from real tradespeople.
Credibility
With years of building experience, his guidance bridges the gap between professional trades and amateur users.
Approachability:
His writing style, both online and in print, simplifies complex tasks while emphasizing safety and knowing when to call a pro.
ABOUT BUILD DOCTOR
During my time in this Industry, I have met thousands of home owners, all of them had one thing in common – they knew that they wanted work done at home, but were not sure of what was possible, or the most cost effective way of getting it done. If this is you, then my services and experience will help you.
You might think the first thing to do is to go straight to an Architect. It is the usual choice, but everyone knows that Architects fees are high. The more scenarios they create for you, the bigger your bill. If however, you know exactly what you want before calling the Architect you can make a huge saving.
You might be tempted to go straight to a builder for a “free estimate” but good Builders are always busy and free estimates, without drawings, rarely reflect the actual cost.
I can guide you through the process, from start to finish. I can visit, understand what you would like to achieve, give you a guide to likely costs & explain the full process.
I can then help with the process from commissioning an Architect & Structural Engineer right through to getting Planning Permission, Building Regulation approval and ultimately your completion certificate. All explained in simple terms and saving you a minimum of double my fee.
Uncertainly leads to delays, delays cost money. The better you understand your build, the more you will save.
Email or call now to book your first, free appointment.
How Build Doctor was conceived
I stopped giving free estimates!
Instead of estimates, I charged a fee for a detailed report. I spent at least 2 or 3 hours with every potential customer, listening to their ideas, advising them, adding to those ideas, suggesting new ones, and pointing out the positives and negatives of each one.
Taking all of that information back to the office I created a report outlining every process they needed to go through, detailing the likely costs of all the ideas they had and assembling them into a coherent statement of intent, which summed up my interpretations of everything they wanted. Which were achievable, and which were not and, most importantly, how much it would cost.
We then talked through the report, narrowing it all down to a point where they could almost visualise the outcome of their decisions and wanted to make plans to start.
Having paid for the report, they could then show it to as many builders as they wanted and ask them all to price the work. It did not take them long to realise that, working to the report, all of the builders were playing on a level playing field, and the prices they were getting did not vary by too much, as they had in the past… My time was paid for, I was happy, they were happy they had a real plan to move forward with.
The idea worked and they saved a lot of time and money by knowing when to get an Architect involved, what a Structural Engineer did, whether they needed Planning Permission or not, and what on earth Building Regulations were, and why they were a legal responsibility.
I don’t build myself anymore. The mind would like to carry on, but the body says no! Time to use my knowledge and experience to help you get what you are dreaming of. Build Doctor is a result of every encounter with every homeowner and Builder I have every worked with.
What is Build Doctor
Build Doctor is an independent advice and consultation service that comes long before Builders, Architects, and huge bills. I lay out the process for you, show you the What-Where-Why and How of your dream home, and how you can achieve the very best value for money from your build:
What permissions you need
When to get others involved and how much it should cost to do so
Companies I would recommend and how to approach them
How to interview Builders and other tradespeople
What to look out for
What to insist on before any money is spent at all
In my 50 years of tearing houses apart, and putting them back together, for hundreds of customers, I have only been asked twice whether I was insured to demolish and rebuild homes that people have spent their life savings buying!
It’s Ok to blame “cowboys” and there are a great many of them, but surely there is a way to avoid them completely?
There is, and I’m happy to show you – It’s all part of the Build Doctor package.
Get in touch
Drop me a line on mike@builddoctor.co.uk or call me on 07881 497014 to find out more.
I will cost you money, but not as much as I can save you – and the first contact is free.
Mike Edwards
Build Doctor
Mike’s loyal assistant widget the dog!