A NATION OF DIY BODGERS?
According to research by Draper Tools* earlier this year, UK homeowners collectively had more than 430 million DIY jobs on their ‘to do’ list, with seven in 10 of us ‘longing’ to start crossing them off.
And while lockdown gave many of us the gift of time to tackle some of those jobs, that’s often where the problem starts!
Insurance firm Aviva** estimated the annual cost of DIY disasters in the UK at £7 billion, with UK adults now more likely to know how to set up a social media account than unblock a sink, bleed a radiator or put up a shelf. Nearly a third of us end up paying a professional to fix our DIY fails.
Gareth Hemming, MD of Personal Lines, Global General Insurance for Aviva, says: “Even a seemingly simple task such as putting up a picture could lead to a burst pipe – which can cause all manner of headaches. While it’s great to learn new skills and try out new things, if people are not confident taking on a household challenge, it may be better to ask someone who knows what they’re doing!”
DIY-ER BEWARE!
Many of us are making the same mistakes and some of them are not only costly, but dangerous too. A 2019 study by Bidvine, an online platform for hiring service professionals, found 62% of Britons have had an accident of sorts while attempting DIY at home.We are also more comfortable undertaking DIY in some areas of the home to others.
The garden (32%) emerged to be the place that Britons were most comfortable attempting DIY, followed by the bedroom (25%) and the living room (13%). The bathroom (3%) and kitchen (6%) were found to be the rooms Britons are least comfortable attempting DIY.
COMMON DIY MISTAKES
Bidvine also asked respondents about their worst ever DIY mistakes and the following five emerged as the most common:
- Electrocuting myself – 19%
- Broke a door/door frame – 15%
- Made a hole in a wall – 11%
- Put a hole in the ceiling while in the attic/loft – 9%
- Drilled through a water pipe – 7%
Russ Morgan, co-founder of Bidvine, said: “Doing a job in your home by yourself can be incredibly satisfying, especially when you keep the costs low and the results are done to a professional standard, or thereabouts. However, it can also be a complete disaster and potentially incredibly dangerous. If you have something on your DIY list that relates to electrics, it’s recommended that you find a qualified professional. It’s safer, can prevent a trip to the hospital and could actually be cheaper in the long run. Sometimes it really is best to let the professionals do their job.”
HOW TO AVOID THE PITFALLS
Which? also urges novice DIY-ers to avoid tackling jobs that could potentially be dangerous such as gas or electrical work, or plumbing repairs that could lead to water damage.
Its advice to homeowners is simple: “Stick to what you’re comfortable doing and check that you have the materials and equipment to finish the job before you start work. Allow yourself more time than you think to complete your project – tasks often turn out to be fiddly or have unexpected complications.”
And, while not completely without their pitfalls, undertaken safely and with the right preparation, Which? lists the DIY jobs that most should be able to do themselves:
- Painting and decorating
- Bleeding radiators
- Straightforward draught-proofing measures
- Checking or topping up the system pressure on your boiler
- Re-grouting tiles
- Cleaning windows, carpets and sofas
- Putting up pictures or shelves
- Fixing some appliance problems, such as a smelly washing machine or a dishwasher that’s not draining
WHY DO UP IF YOU CAN BUY NEW?
If all that has put you off picking up the tools, maybe it's time to stop and say 'Why do up if you could buy new? and discover how a new, open plan home could be what you really want'
* Research published by Draper Tools in February 2020 after polling 2,000 adults for its ‘Job Done’ study.
**Data taken from a survey of 2,009 adults across the UK in February 2020 on behalf of Aviva.
***Bidvine polled over 2,200 British adult home-owners
