You could always practice on someone else’s house!  There’s a great international volunteer organisation called Habitat for Humanity.  In Australia they’ve built over 80 houses for the Country’s most underprivileged families since they started in 1988.  The houses aren’t just hand-outs – the recipient families have to put in 500hrs ‘sweat equity’ and be willing to be educated in how to maintain the house and financially manage their special low-interest loan, so they’re really ‘hand-ups’.  All of the details are on the website www.habitat.org.au .  Volunteers are needed to help build these houses and Habitat for Humanity Australia is in Qld, NSW, VIC, SA and WA. In Queensland a special project called Brush with Kindness has been launched to help get flood victims back in their homes.  Yes, the floods were in January, it’s June, and people’s homes are still unliveable – volunteers needed!  In Victoria, bush fire victims are being given a ‘hand-up’ by Habitat.  So if you’ve got the renovating bug and can’t wait to get into it, but don’t have your own place to build or renovate, lend a hand and help out and get some great hands-on experience at the same time!