Sprucing up the home is something everyone might have a go at but new research shows Mancunians should leave it to an expert or risk spending more in the long run – and serious injury.
Almost 70% of Mancunians lack confidence when completing basic DIY jobs such as putting up shelves, a survey released today revealed.
And 57% of DIY jobs end in failure – leading to injuries or more work needing to be done.
Rob Lang, 47, from Sale, a home improvement specialist, told MM: “Some people are pretty good at DIY and can get away with putting up shelves here and there.
“But I have seen cases where people should never attempt to do even the smallest DIY tasks. I didn’t think it was particularly difficult to paint a wall, but some people manage to make a meal out of that.
“DIY is something that I think most men like to think they are good at, but in truth they haven’t a clue what they are doing. The amount of botched jobs you see around the place is ridiculous.”
The research adds insult to injury as one in four Mancunians admit to having wounded themselves in some way when trying to fix up their home.
Injuries incurred during DIY range from cuts, bruises, muscle strains, broken bones and back pains which have lead to 29% of Mancunians having to call 999 or take a trip to A&E for treatment.
The research found that Mancunians regularly make glaring DIY errors such as hanging things upside down and failing to erect shelves and cupboards correctly.
DIY is often a way of cost-cutting but all too often Mancunians find themselves forking out more to fix a botched job.
The research, by the Command Brand from 3M, found that in fact just four in ten attempts at home improvement can be hailed as a complete success.
A spokesman for the Command Brand from 3M said: “The best way to avoid bodging up home improvements is simply to find an easier way to get the job done. Seek out advice from the experts and use products and tools that save you time and effort.”
The research also found that men are confident in their ability to perform everyday tasks around the home where as one in three women said they had ‘different expectations’ of what a job well done looked like.
“Women definitely have different expectations to men on what a good job looks like,” added Rob.
“I think DIY is something that some people are good at and make the most of, but others should just leave it to a professional or run the risk of injury or a job costing more than it would have for someone to come and do it.”
A lack of DIY skills has also been affecting relationships as one in three women admit they are ‘nervous’ when their other half does decide to tackle home improvements.
Image courtesy of Dan Morris, with thanks.
