Brits warned to leave DIY to the professionals this Bank Holiday weekend
A survey of 3,000 adults has revealed that 22% are planning to undertake some home improvements this coming weekend. The top tasks on the list include painting, sanding and fixing leaks. According to the poll, 31% plan to paint their homes and 17% aim to spruce up fences over the Bank Holiday.
Many Brits are also preparing to pressure wash patios (13%), put up shelves (13%), or deal with a blocked gutter (13%). However, it's concerning that 41% confess they have no confidence in their DIY skills. As a result, Brits fear their DIY efforts are likely to go wrong, potentially requiring £512 million in total to rectify any blunders.
Brits estimate that it costs an average of £106 to fix a DIY disaster, according to the research. The most common mishaps include fixing leaky taps (15%), toilet flushes (13%), and decorating errors (12%). Some have even messed up bleeding a radiator (10%) or depressurising a boiler.
The research suggests that the main cause of DIY disasters is a lack of knowledge. London has been crowned as England's DIY disaster capital, with the average person in the city botching four DIY attempts in the past year, costing them £162 to repair the damage.
The study commissioned by home repairs service Ding, which recently launched its Toolbox Amnesty campaign in various major DIY stores across London, is encouraging Brits to take a break from their tools this bank holiday weekend and leave the work to trusted professionals.
Ding is a new membership service from Homeserve that puts you within easy reach of trusted engineers to get your plumbing, heating or electrics jobs done. The company is offering three months of free service to those who share a photo of their DIY blunder on Instagram.
Chris Houghton of Ding, shared: "With so much being spent fixing botched jobs, it's clear that our efforts don't always lead to good results."
He noted that despite the appeal of saving money through DIY, it can often result in costing more to fix the mistakes: "We all love the idea of saving money by doing it ourselves – but as our research shows, DIY can quickly turn into a very expensive mistake."
Houghton encourages Brits to put down their tools and enjoy a relaxing long weekend, leaving the work to the experts.
According to data from OnePoll.com, 22% of people have had to call in a professional to fix their DIY disasters, which have resulted in cosmetic damage, leaks, or even electrical outages.
Houghton added: "Our Toolbox Amnesty is designed to take the pressure off, and if you send us a picture of a previous DIY mishap, you could win three months free cover."
TOP 10 MOST BOTCHED DIY JOBS:
Fixing a leaky tap
Fixing the toilet flush
Decorating (painting, wallpapering)
Unclogging a toilet
Fixing broken furniture
Building flatpack furniture
Putting up shelves
Unclogging a blocked sink
Hanging curtains or blinds
Bleeding the radiator
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