Most Brits are happy to tackle painting and building flat-pack furniture – but is it the younger or the older, the men or the women, who are more likely to wield tools at home?
Even the smallest DIY project will be a daunting prospect for many Britons, but half say they are happy to roll up their sleeves and do it themselves.
Who does the DIY?
When it comes to who picks up the tools, half of Britons (52%) say they are responsible for the DIY in their household, and another 27% say their partner is the handy one. One in eight Brits (13%) say they have other family members come over to help them out, while one in six doesn’t do any DIY at all, or has it done by a professional.
Younger Brits are the least likely to be in charge of the DIY, with only a third (35%) of people aged from 18 to 24 stepping in. However, when Brits hit the age of 25, the number jumps to half (54%) and remains consistent across all older groups.
Despite the stereotype, DIY is also no longer just a man’s world, as almost two in five (38%) women are responsible for it in their households, compared to 67% of men.
What DIY do Brits say they can do?
The majority of Britons who do DIY (85%) say they can do their own painting and decorating, with women more likely to pick up the paintbrush than their male counterparts (90% and 82% respectively).
The most common task Britons feel able to take on behind decorating is assembling and installing furniture (82%), while two in five (41%) say they can also take on basic carpentry and woodworking jobs.
A quarter (25%) also do their own plumbing and electrical jobs. However, just one in six (17%) say they can do building work, with most leaving that to the professionals.
Why do Brits not do their own DIY?
Among those who do not undertake their own household jobs, just under a third (29%) said they didn’t think they had the skills to pull it off. Despite this, only one in nine (11%) say that a professional does a better quality job.
One in six (17%) said the DIY was organised by their landlord, and 13% said they hired a professional because they were not physically able to do DIY themselves.
Image: Getty
