Determined 'DIYers' - a disaster waiting to happen? - 19 March 2008
Yellow Pages study reveals £11.3 billion is spent rectifying DIY mistakesA new study by Yellow Pages has revealed that UK adults spend on average one year (*1) of their lives carrying out home improvements, despite almost a third (29 per cent) admitting to starting jobs they aren’t equipped to tackle, can’t complete or messed up.
And, their misjudgements can often prove costly. The study of almost 1,500 people (*2) estimates that those DIYers admitting to blunders spend an average of £1,058 (*3) each on materials and service charges to rectify their mistakes, totalling £11.3 billion (*4) overall.
Additionally, it seems that only 17 per cent actually enjoy doing it themselves. The majority carry out DIY tasks due to perceived necessity (57 per cent), or to try and save money (38 per cent).
Of the 76 per cent carrying out DIY, many would attempt major projects such as laying a patio (26 per cent), installing insulation (23 per cent), fitting a kitchen (15 per cent) or changing a radiator (16 per cent).
Clodagh Ward, consumer development director at Yell, publisher of Yellow Pages directories, said: “We know from our own data that DIY continues to be popular as DIY-related classifications in Yellow Pages directories are used on average 2.4 million (*5) times per month. It’s really surprising to see the scale of home improvements that people are prepared to tackle. Sometimes it may prove cheaper to call upon the skilled trades people for the trickier jobs in the first instance.”
The survey revealed that when faced with a disaster just 23 per cent seek expert advice. Two thirds (64 per cent) prefer to rely on family or friends to help them try and put things right, although women are more likely to do this than men (72 per cent of women compared with 51 per cent of men). One in seven men risk making the problem worse by attempting to fix it themselves.
For around one in eight disastrous DIYers, the consequence of a DIY fiasco goes beyond the financial, resulting in themselves or someone else requiring medical attention. Four per cent of those suffering DIY mishaps said their actions had actually devalued their homes and a further two per cent ended up separating from their partners.
Philip Bullman, chairman, National Association of Estate Agents, said: “As well as costing hundreds and sometimes thousands of pounds for the professionals to put right, DIY disasters can end up devaluing a property. With the costs of moving currently so high, many people are choosing to stay put and are instead looking to improve their homes. While this can add value if done properly, we would encourage people to think carefully about the long-term implications of home improvement projects and to seek professional advice before they start. Their local NAEA registered agent can give offer advice on trades people as well as information on specific projects such as big kitchen-diners or home offices.”
Clodagh Ward added: “Yellow Pages helps people to make an informed choice when choosing a supplier. It provides information on the trade associations and professional bodies that our advertisers belong to, as well as offering advice tips from Consumer Direct on how to choose a tradesperson. This leaves would-be DIYers with more time to do the things they really enjoy instead.”
| Home improvement task | % of people who would attempt task themselves |
| Wallpapering | 61 |
| Tiling | 40 |
| Put in light fittings | 38 |
| Laying a patio/decking | 26 |
| Installing insulation | 23 |
| Replacing guttering | 17 |
| Changing a radiator | 16 |
| Fitting a kitchen | 15 |
| Fitting a bathroom | 15 |
| Plastering | 12 |
(*1) Length of time spent doing DIY based on each person doing an average of 5.2 hours of DIY every month over 47 years (18-65 years). Total hours 2,932 divided by an 8 hour day equates to 366.5 days.
(*2) Total survey of 1,952 UK adults, 1,492 of which partake in DIY, carried out by Tickbox, 12-18 February 2008.
(*3) Average spend on emergency call-out charges and materials/replacement items over the years.
(*4) Total DIY spend of £11.3 billion based on the approximate UK adult population figure of 48,469,600 (source: National Statistics).
(*5) Source: Saville Rossier-Base 2006-07, results are based on past research and are no guarantee of future behaviour.
For further information about this press release, please contact the Yell Press Office.
Notes to editors:
Yellow Pages
Yellow Pages directories are published by Yell, a leading international directories business operating in classified advertising markets in the UK, US, Spain and Latin America through printed, online and telephone-based media. Yell’s principal brands include: in the UK, Yellow Pages, Yell.com and Yellow Pages 118 24 7; in the US, Yellow Book and Yellowbook.com; and in Spain, Paginas Amarillas and PaginasAmarillas.es. All these brands are trademarks.
