A recent report has shown that we are a nation of impractical amateurs when it comes to DIY and that over half of us have to call in a professional after attemting things around the home ourselves and failing.
- Norwich is the UK’s bodge capital, where people have messed up an average of SEVEN DIY jobs
- Brits have ruined up at least FOUR jobs in their homes in the last few years
- Research by Rustlers to launch its inaugural Construction Games also reveals that 1 in 5 Brits have injured themselves while undertaking DIY projects
Britain is wasting a whopping £1.6bn a year on repairing botched DIY projects, according to a new study. While 56 percent of the country are confident they have the skills required to complete projects as well as a professional tradesperson, the nationwide report revealed that hapless Brits have messed up at least FOUR jobs in their homes in the last few years, having to then call in a professional to fix the mess.
The research – conducted by Rustlers to launch its inaugural Construction Games – revealed that the most common bodge-up actually comes from the seemingly simple task of painting a room, with 1 in 5 Brits admitting to messing it up, which also led to an average of five furious rows with partners. Also on the list of jobs which frequently go wrong were:
- Hanging wallpaper (18 percent)
- Unblocking a toilet (16 percent)
- Flatpack furniture (16 percent)
- Laying a carpet (12 percent)
- Bleeding a radiator (11 percent)
- Plastering (11 percent)
The study found that of the 1,500 respondents over half (56 percent) have had to call in a professional because they’d made a building blunder.
And it’s not just a matter of cost, there’s a significant amount of time wasted with Brits reckoning they’ve wasted 44 hours (over a week of working days) in the last five years on projects which have then had to be fixed.
"We’ve been fueling skilled tradespeople for years with our delicious and hassle-free range of flame grilled burgers and hot sandwiches. and we’re proud to continue supporting them with the launch of the Rustlers Construction Games to shine a light on our hard working highly skilled tradespeople, and to celebrate their talents.
Everyone has attempted a bit of DIY in their time, but this research reveals you really do need to possess a unique set of skills to get the job done well!”says Elaine Rothballer, Brand Marketing Controller from Rustlers.
To make matters worse, over a quarter (27 percent) of Brits have also injured themselves doing these odd jobs and 6 percent have even had to head to A&E.
Cutting yourself on a sharp tool (35 percent), banging your head (31 percent) and getting a bad splinter (26 percent).
Tripping over (25 percent), giving yourself an electric shock and sanding your own leg (9 percent) were also added to the list of errors.
Of the respondents polled, 70 percent admitted that they felt relieved when they eventually called in a professional. However, some people had an alternative solution, with 42 percent of Britain relying on their parents to help out.
Regionally, Norwich was the bodge job capital of the UK where people had messed up on average seven DIY jobs, compared to the competent folk of Nottingham who have only messed up three in the last few years.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) said: “Highly skilled tradespeople train for years to become experts in their fields. Trying to reduce costs by attempting to do the job of a professional is a false economy and can even be a health and safety risk. We’re urging homeowners to know their limits and don’t fall victim to DIY disasters.”
BRITAIN’S TOP DIY ACCIDENTS
- Cut yourself with a sharp tool: 36%
- Banged your head: 31%
- Got a bad splinter: 26%
- Tripped over: 25%
- Gave yourself an electric shock: 20%
- Fell off a ladder: 16%
- Hammered a nail into your hand or arm: 14%
- You slipped in water 12%
- Plaster fell on your head 10%
- Fell off a ladder and broke a limb 10%
- Sanded your leg/foot 9%
- Drilled a screw into yourself 8%
- Had a light fitting fall on your head 7%
Rustlers has commissioned this research to launch its inaugural Construction Games.
The contest sees ten competitors battling it out over five challenges - The Tower, The Hammer, The Plaster Wall, The Razor and The Barrow - and celebrates the skills that skilled tradespeople need to show every day.
