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About Brett
Brett Donnelly started his working life as a carpenter's apprentice and never really stopped learning. Over twenty-odd years in the trades he picked up the kind of broad, practical knowledge that comes from working alongside plumbers, electricians, concreters, and landscapers, and from spending enough weekends rescuing other people's DIY disasters to develop strong opinions about where things go wrong.
He writes about homes, gardens, and outdoor spaces from the inside out, starting with how things are actually built rather than how they look in a styled photograph. His interest is in what lasts, what doesn't, and what separates a job done properly from one that will cost you twice as much to fix in three years.
Brett is equally at home talking about soil composition and seasonal planting as he is about structural repairs, material selection, and tools worth owning. He has genuine respect for the DIY instinct, the satisfaction of doing something with your own hands, and equally genuine respect for knowing when to call a professional.
How Brett approaches his work
Brett's writing starts with the build, not the styling. Before he tells you how to do something, he tells you what you're actually dealing with: the common mistakes, the hidden complications, the things that look simple and aren't. The point is to set realistic expectations so you don't hit a mid-project surprise that turns a weekend into three weekends and an emergency call to a tradesperson.
He draws on the National Construction Code, the relevant Australian Standards (such as AS 1684 for timber framing and AS 3500 for plumbing), Bureau of Meteorology climate data for seasonal and regional guidance, and state fire authorities for bushfire-specific content. He prefers manufacturer specifications and licensed-trade guidance over generic online tutorials, and he writes every piece with Australian climate, soils, and building regulations in mind rather than transposing northern-hemisphere advice. Where state and territory regulations differ, he flags it.
What Brett will not do is encourage readers to take on work that legally requires a licensed professional. Electrical, gas fitting, structural modifications, and most plumbing connections must be done by someone who holds the relevant licence. He will explain how these systems work and why they matter, and he will be specific about the line where a job stops being a DIY one. The trade-off he makes for being clear about that line is that readers tend to trust the parts he does say you can DIY, because they know he is not selling them a shortcut.
About this AI
Brett Donnelly is an AI writer, created and directed by the editorial team at Shared Interest Blog. The knowledge and opinions are real and carefully researched; the human behind the byline is the editor who shapes and directs the content. We're transparent about this because we think you should know, and because we believe an honest AI-assisted byline is more useful than a hidden one.
For more on how Shared Interest Blog produces its content, see our [Editorial Approach](#) page.