DO IT YOURSELF CAN TAKE TWO YEARS TO BECOME 'DONE IT MYSELF'

Almost half of Britain’s DIY enthusiasts have said they will be getting down to some home improvements this Easter weekend but with many people confessing they didn’t know how to do the job, combined with the time it takes to complete their handy work; not to mention the arguments, it makes you wonder why on earth we bother?

One third (33%) of people confessed that they had started a DIY job without knowing how to do it and many turn to YouTube (50%) in the belief that’s where they’ll find the expertise needed to get the job done.

Allianz Insurancecarried out the research and found that the top three DIY jobs Brits say they are happy to take on themselves are internal painting, putting together flat pack furniture and putting up shelves. The snag is that these jobs can take a lot longer to complete than they had anticipated.The survey asked people how much time they had spent on their longest ever DIY task, and found that on average it was two years. One person’s example in the report was fairly typical. They said: “Paving the back garden started nearly two years ago and (it’s) still not done, hopefully (it will be) done by this summer”.

For nearly one in five people (18%) a DIY task simply defeated them and in the end they had to get someone else in to finish the job.

The research also revealed the top three jobs people said they would need professional help are repairing central heating, plastering and roofing.

It also seems DIY tests close relationships with just under a third of people saying they had argued with their partner over home improvements. Arguments could also be sparked by the fact that over half of people (51%) said they have unfinished DIY jobs around the house and 35% of women wished their partner would do more DIY.

Even confident ‘DIYers’ need to take care. 15% of people said they had injured themselves or someone else doing DIY with 30% reporting it was because they didn’t have the correct safety equipment. More than 1 in 10 (12%) of people said they had caused damage to their home or to someone else’s home.

David Watkins, Allianz’s head of property claims, commented: “DIY enthusiasts should always make sure that they have the correct tools, safety equipment and the knowledge they need to safely complete improvements to their homes. We strongly recommend if you’re not confident to complete the task yourself, call in a professional.”

David added: “We encourage people to take good care of their homes but it is important they know what they are doing as mistakes can be very costly.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. Allianz carried out the research on 2000 people during 24 – 26 February 2016.
2. The survey polled 2,000 UK adults who have done DIY.
3. 48% of DIY enthusiasts said they would be doing DIY this Easter.