430 million DIY jobs need attention in British homes, study claims

Lack of time and hectic lifestyles partly to blame for weighty list of home improvements

More than 430 million DIY jobs currently need attention in Britain’s homes, a study has found.

A lack of time and hectic lifestyles are partly to blame for the weighty list of home improvements on the nation’s to do lists.

Giving their houses a lick of paint, putting up shelves and wallpapering are among the tasks yet to be finished.

Other nagging jobs include cleaning the car, changing light bulbs, fixing dodgy toilet flushes and cleaning the patio.

Commissioned by Draper Tools, the research of 2,000 adults found three quarters agree if a job’s worth doing it’s worth doing well - otherwise it’s simply not worth doing.

This may explain why 44 per cent have started a task only to leave it half-finished for a prolonged period after they realised part-way they didn’t have the right tools for the job.

As a result of these findings, the tools supplier has created a video to show just how easy it is to cross off household DIY tasks - in just 60 minutes.

Clive Richardson from Draper Tools, said: “Motivating yourself to get jobs done or finding the time to do them isn’t easy - especially when there are so many tasks on our to-do lists.

“The key is to focus on one thing at a time and gradually chip away at your to-do lists otherwise the mounting number of DIY jobs can become overwhelming.

“We find that with the right tools and a bit of determination to get the job done, these tasks don’t have to take over your life.”

The study also found seven in 10 ‘long’ to cross off DIY jobs from their to-do list - including bleeding radiators, repairing fencing and clearing out the shed.

Other outstanding tasks on the list include building flat pack furniture, fixing squeaky doors and tightening loose screws.

Raking up leaves, changing fuses and boarding up the attic also remain incomplete for many of those polled.

(Eugen Str/Unsplash) (Eugen Str)

But for 59 per cent this might take a while as they admit they have an ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’ attitude towards home improvement.

In fact, a fifth avoid DIY at all costs and six in 10 simply do it out of necessity.

However a further fifth described home improvement as something they really enjoy.

When it comes to ability, more than a third described themselves as ‘very good’ at DIY - although six in 10 said they are ‘not that good’ or ‘very bad’.

As a result, many of those polled rely on others for help and advice, with dad the first person to call on for four in 10.

Further to this, those who rely on their fathers will go to them as often as four times a month.

But the Draper Tools study carried out through OnePoll found a quarter will also go to their mum for some pointers.

Clive Richardson added: “There are a lot of ways to make jobs that little bit easier and mum and dad can certainly help.

“There are also plenty of tools that will simplify and speed up many of the jobs on the nation’s list. What’s more, it’s incredibly rewarding when you do get the job done.

“In fact, three quarters of the population agreed that nothing beats the satisfaction of a getting a DIY job done – so finally tackling those neglected tasks can be very worthwhile indeed.”

UK’S DIY TO-DO LIST:

1. Painting walls

2. Cleaning the car

3. Weeding

4. Cleaning the patio

5. Defrosting the freezer

6. Hanging a picture frame

7. Collecting leaves

8. Replacing light bulbs

9. Organising / clearing out the shed

10. Painting a door

11. Checking tyre pressure

12. Bleeding a radiator

13. Plastering over a little hole

14. Putting up curtains/blinds

15. Inflating car tyres

16. Putting up shelves

17. Fixing a fence panel

18. Fixing a dripping tap

19. Chipped skirting board

20. Wallpapering a wall

21. Sorting a squeaky door

22. Tightening loose screws

23. Building flat pack furniture

24. Fixing a toilet

25. Changing a plug/fuse

26. Replacing a doorknob

27. Changing a shower head

28. Tightening up a loose kitchen cupboard door

29. Fixing a lock

30. Replacing a broken toilet seat

31. Laying carpets

32. Fixing a dodgy toilet flush

33. Changing a light switch

34. Sorting squeaky floorboards

35. Repairing the shed roof

36. Fixing a sticking drawer

37. Fixing a broken doorbell

38. Straightening up a door

39. Boarding up the attic

40. Fixing a leaking pipe

SWNS