Hello
Your topics for DIY and home maintenance caught my eye as on top of being a writer, I have also been involved in property renovation for much of my life, so it is a subject matter I am very familiar with. I temper that with an element of caution as I am aware that different countries have different building materials, methods of construction and architectural styles, as well as different names at times. However the principles are the same.
I would expect the articles to be relatively easy to read and not too technical, but still information rich. Google's latest Panda algorithm for articles that are of benefit to your website and page ranking (it is moving away from SEO keyword and density to quality writing relevant to the topic). 500 words is the optimum with one image plushidden hypertext , one backlink to a reputable external source and a couple of internal hyperlinks.
As an example I wouldn't write 500 words on how to avoid a chimney fire as 400 words of that would be padding. However 'How to make the most of an open fire in your home' would make a great article in which you can discuss about sweeping the chimney, good wood to burn, opening trickle vents in windows to allow the fire to breathe, etc..
I do all the work myself and I wouldn't risk my reputation ( see full feedback profile) by copying anything - my work is 100% original.
Happy to discuss strategy if you wish to know more, bids are restricted in word count so can't put it here.
David Dundas