When undertaking a major renovation, or even a simple DIY job like hanging a picture, shelf or cabinets, it’s essential to know what is behind the wall you are about to drill through or cut a hole in.

But without detailed schematics of your home, it’s difficult to see what’s inside.

Luckily, there’s a way you can create a visual reference to know what is behind the plasterboard walls in your home.

During a renovation or while your house is being built, take the time to go through the building after the utilities have been installed but before the plasterboard is hung and take photos of the wall frames. Make sure you take a photo of anywhere there are pipes or cables running through the walls.

Keep a digital and a hard copy of these photos, so when it comes time to renovate again years down the track, or even if you just need to mount something on the wall, you’ll be able to find exactly where your utilities are installed so you can avoid them when driving nails or screws into the wall.

Take a look inside the latest issue of Handyman for more DIY tips and ideas.