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A spirit level? That’s an instrument for measuring alcohol right?
We may have all the gear, but we still have no idea!
-Seven out of ten British homeowners have called in help for simple DIY tasks over the last year
-22% of Brits believe a monkey wrench is a tool used by zookeepers and 14% believe a spirit level is a device used for measuring alcohol!
-DIY know-how is on the decline - 58% of young people say they rely on their parents to complete jobs around the home
LONDON, 1 March 2011: Brits are spending a whopping £5.6 billion* each year calling in help to fix the simplest of DIY tasks according to a new report, which suggests that while most British households own a toolbox, the vast majority have absolutely no idea what to do with the contents.
The ‘Seize the DIY Report’ was commissioned by TV channel Home to help launch its ‘Seize the DIY’ campaign, which aims to encourage people across the UK not to be afraid of completing DIY tasks themselves. The survey quizzed 4,000 British householders about their home improvement habits. The results provide a compelling insight into the true cost of simple maintenance and provide a rundown of the nation’s dumbest DIY dilemmas.
The findings reveal that although the vast majority (80%) of households own a toolbox with contents worth an average of £340, tools are often left to gather dust while an expert is called in to complete the work. Indeed, a massive 70% of British homeowners now rely on a handyman to complete simple DIY tasks, such as putting up a shelf or fixing a leaking tap. A quarter of respondents (25%) admit in hindsight that they have shelled out for help on a simple DIY job that they could have completed themselves.
Part of the malaise can be attributed to the fact that almost a third of Britons (30%) admit that they find DIY shops intimidating, however the report also points to a clear knowledge gap when it comes to the uses for simple household tools. Worryingly, a mere third (33%) of respondents say that they are confident when it comes to using shop-bought tools. These findings are supported by the fact that 14% of homeowners believe that a spirit level is a device used for measuring alcohol. When asked what a monkey wrench would be used for, more than a fifth (22%) of people failed to hit the nail on the head, saying zookeepers use it during the primate-mating season. A further one in ten clueless men and women stated that a ‘spanner’ was a term used to describe someone of limited intelligence!
The report found that the average yearly household spend on fixing simple DIY tasks was £220 which adds up to a massive national spend of £5.6 billion a year. The research also reveals the top 10 simple DIY tasks that we employ experts to remedy:
1. Stopping a dripping tap (15%)
2. Painting a room (13.2%)
3. Sealing a bath, sink or basin (12.8%)
4. Fitting a toilet roll or towel holder (11.3%)
5. Unblocking a sink (9.8%)
6. Fitting a TV Bracket (8.6%)
7. Bleeding a radiator (7.5%)
8. Putting up a shelf (7.3%)
9. Assembling flat pack furniture (6.9%)
10. Hanging a picture on a wall (5.2%)
This lack of DIY expertise goes someway to explaining why a massive 76% of British homes have one or more unfinished tasks, with 24% having four or more outstanding jobs. Of the 4,000 homeowners questioned, a quarter (25%) admitted that they had not attempted a single DIY task within the past 12 months.
Regional Findings
Londoners are the most likely to come unstuck when it comes to DIY, with almost a quarter (25%) not knowing what a spirit level is. However, those living in the North East are the most clued up about what to do with their tools, as only 5% did not know what the real use was for the instrument.
The survey also reveals that Scots spend the least on their tools (£273.97), yet a whopping 88% of them own a toolbox. In comparison, those in the Midlands spend the highest amount, with an average toolbox and contents setting them back £401.81.
Welsh homeowners have the largest number of unfinished DIY tasks in their homes, with an average of three jobs left to complete, while householders in the South West are the most DIY savvy, having completed an average of four jobs in the last year.
Generational Differences
The study also highlights a massive generational gap when it comes to basic DIY know-how. More than a quarter of 20-25 year olds have revealed they have no idea what a monkey wrench is (27%), whereas just 8% of those aged 54 and over, had the same problem.
The older generation is also more willing to get stuck into household repairs with 70% of over 54’s claiming they can confidently complete simple tasks themselves. By comparison, only 12% of under 35’s stated the same. The vast majority of homes owned by the over 54’s (90%) have a toolbox, but nearly a third (32%) of those owned by under 25’s do not. This contrast in DIY knowledge is heightened by the fact that more than half of younger people (58%) admit that they rely on the help of an older relative to complete household repairs for them. This lack of DIY knowledge also looks set to grow further in future, with more than a quarter (27%) of respondents saying that they have not taught their children how to complete household tasks.
Gender Differences
Despite women demonstrating a better understanding for the use of DIY gear, with an average of 86% knowing the use for common tools compared to 83% of men, less than 10% say that they would feel confident completing simple DIY tasks, in contrast to 30% of men. Females are also much more intimidated by DIY shops than males, with 35% of women confessing that they find DIY shops unsettling.
Home Channel Head, Clare Laycock says: Our TV channel Home is dedicated to helping the nation’s householders develop their DIY skills to maintain their homes and ultimately save them time and money. It’s staggering how much cash we spend on simple household tasks that could be spent elsewhere. Our Seize the DIY campaign on TV and online will show Brits how straightforward it is to do it themselves, as well as being fun, cheap and very rewarding. We want to build a nation of DIY Heroes throughout 2011!
A spirit level? That’s an instrument for measuring alcohol right?
We may have all the gear, but we still have no idea!
-Seven out of ten British homeowners have called in help for simple DIY tasks over the last year
-22% of Brits believe a monkey wrench is a tool used by zookeepers and 14% believe a spirit level is a device used for measuring alcohol!
-DIY know-how is on the decline - 58% of young people say they rely on their parents to complete jobs around the home
LONDON, 1 March 2011: Brits are spending a whopping £5.6 billion* each year calling in help to fix the simplest of DIY tasks according to a new report, which suggests that while most British households own a toolbox, the vast majority have absolutely no idea what to do with the contents.
The ‘Seize the DIY Report’ was commissioned by TV channel Home to help launch its ‘Seize the DIY’ campaign, which aims to encourage people across the UK not to be afraid of completing DIY tasks themselves. The survey quizzed 4,000 British householders about their home improvement habits. The results provide a compelling insight into the true cost of simple maintenance and provide a rundown of the nation’s dumbest DIY dilemmas.
The findings reveal that although the vast majority (80%) of households own a toolbox with contents worth an average of £340, tools are often left to gather dust while an expert is called in to complete the work. Indeed, a massive 70% of British homeowners now rely on a handyman to complete simple DIY tasks, such as putting up a shelf or fixing a leaking tap. A quarter of respondents (25%) admit in hindsight that they have shelled out for help on a simple DIY job that they could have completed themselves.
Part of the malaise can be attributed to the fact that almost a third of Britons (30%) admit that they find DIY shops intimidating, however the report also points to a clear knowledge gap when it comes to the uses for simple household tools. Worryingly, a mere third (33%) of respondents say that they are confident when it comes to using shop-bought tools. These findings are supported by the fact that 14% of homeowners believe that a spirit level is a device used for measuring alcohol. When asked what a monkey wrench would be used for, more than a fifth (22%) of people failed to hit the nail on the head, saying zookeepers use it during the primate-mating season. A further one in ten clueless men and women stated that a ‘spanner’ was a term used to describe someone of limited intelligence!
The report found that the average yearly household spend on fixing simple DIY tasks was £220 which adds up to a massive national spend of £5.6 billion a year. The research also reveals the top 10 simple DIY tasks that we employ experts to remedy:
1. Stopping a dripping tap (15%)
2. Painting a room (13.2%)
3. Sealing a bath, sink or basin (12.8%)
4. Fitting a toilet roll or towel holder (11.3%)
5. Unblocking a sink (9.8%)
6. Fitting a TV Bracket (8.6%)
7. Bleeding a radiator (7.5%)
8. Putting up a shelf (7.3%)
9. Assembling flat pack furniture (6.9%)
10. Hanging a picture on a wall (5.2%)
This lack of DIY expertise goes someway to explaining why a massive 76% of British homes have one or more unfinished tasks, with 24% having four or more outstanding jobs. Of the 4,000 homeowners questioned, a quarter (25%) admitted that they had not attempted a single DIY task within the past 12 months.
Regional Findings
Londoners are the most likely to come unstuck when it comes to DIY, with almost a quarter (25%) not knowing what a spirit level is. However, those living in the North East are the most clued up about what to do with their tools, as only 5% did not know what the real use was for the instrument.
Tagged in Home and Garden DIY