A little job here and a little job there. If you take the time to take a good look at your house, you will probably find all sorts of things you would like to tackle. But not everyone is handy enough to actually do these jobs themselves. Some people are very skilled and seemingly can do everything themselves, while others prefer to hire an expert for all jobs. We conducted research into the handy skills of Britons and came to some striking conclusions!
Over 40% of Britons believe they are good at DIY
Over 40% of Britons believe they are good at DIY. Although few Britons consider themselves to be real DIY experts, 4% say they do (almost) everything themselves and even help others. The largest group (38%) is quite handy, but prefers to outsource difficult jobs to a professional. Not everyone is equally confident in their DIY skills; 50% say they still lack the experience to be really good at DIY. Only 6% say they can’t do anything themselves, and a small proportion prefer to outsource jobs, even though they could do them themselves. Men are much more likely to take on DIY tasks than women: 77% of men say they do DIY at home, compared to only 36% of women. Interestingly, just 4% of men say their partner takes care of it, while almost a third of women (31%) report that their partner does.
An extensive toolbox? That’s not the case for 10% of Brits. The majority (62%) do have a toolbox at home, but it only contains basic items such as a screwdriver and cordless drill. However, 28% do have a very extensive toolbox.
North East leads the way as the DIY province
The North East can call itself the DIY province of Great Britain. 22% of residents consider themselves to be true craftsmen and women. Greater London (7%) and the North West (5%) follow in the rankings. When it comes to outsourcing, Yorkshire and the Humber (7%) and the East of England (4%) are the most enthusiastic.
DIY in moderation
Most Britons do no more than four hours of DIY per week (75%). A smaller group is slightly more active, doing between four and eight hours of DIY per week (6%). In Great Britain, we can also speak of a select group of hobby DIYers, with 1% of Britons spending twelve hours (or more) per week on DIY at home. See the overview below:
DIY problems
Many Britons search online for solutions or ask for help when they get stuck with a DIY job. This appears to be the most obvious choice for 81%. 5% simply keep going until they succeed. But not everyone looks for the solution themselves: 12% prefer to call in an expert to take over the work. DIY often comes with its own set of challenges. For example, finding the right tools, achieving the right result or even finding the motivation to get started. Below, you can see what the British consider to be the biggest challenges when it comes to DIY.
Holiday days or DIY days?
In the United Kingdom, you are entitled to a minimum of approximately 20 days of holiday days (plus bank holidays) per year if you have a full-time job. But how do we actually use those days? Are they really used for holidays, or are they sometimes used for DIY at home? No less than 38% of Britons say they sometimes take holiday days to do DIY at home. A small group (2%) say they always do this. Nevertheless, 41% choose to actually take their holiday days for holidays, and 19% even go on trips when they take days off. On average, people say they have taken around 9 days in the last 2-3 years off for DIY projects at home.
Methodology
For this study, 812 Britons were asked about their DIY habits in a survey between august 1 and august 22.