New research commissioned by British Gas claims to have identified the best and worst names for being good at DIY. According to the survey, Dave (13%), Steve (12%) and John (12%) are among the handiest males, while Emma (4%) emerged as the handiest female. At the other end of the scale, people named Nigel (4%) are said to be the least handy across the nation.
Nearly Half of Brits Need Professional Repairs
The research reveals that almost half (46%) of Brits have had to call in a professional to fix their DIY attempts, with those needing repairs spending an average of £249 on professional fixes over the past year. A quarter (26%) admit they have ended up spending more than if they had called an expert in the first place.
Despite this, 38% admit to starting a household job thinking "how hard can it be?" only to later regret it. The most regretted tasks include traditional painting and decorating (21%), assembling flat pack furniture (17%) and putting up shelves (15%).
DIY Mishaps and Regrets
Four in ten (43%) are guilty of attempting a DIY task even though they were not at all confident they knew what they were doing. It is no surprise that almost half (47%) found that their DIY attempts made the problem worse, with 9% admitting the issue became worse than before.
As a result, more than half (52%) have ended up arguing with their other half or a loved one about the attempts, with 17% confessing it happens all the time. Meanwhile, a third (33%) admit to following an online tutorial only to discover that the job was far harder than it looked.
Common DIY Disasters
Almost half (46%) of the British nation have started a DIY job only to wish they had not. A quarter (26%) admit they have abandoned a DIY job because they simply did not know what to do next. And 24% confess to having a DIY disaster trying to fix something themselves, from spilling paint on the furniture or carpet (27%), leftover mystery screws when putting together flat pack furniture (23%) and gluing something in the wrong position (18%).
The research, which surveyed 2,001 adults, also revealed mishaps including drilling unnecessary holes in the wall (17%), putting up wonky shelves (14%) and incorrectly measuring furniture, meaning it did not fit (14%).
British Gas Launches 'Don't Do It Yourself' Campaign
Turning the familiar idea of DIY on its head, British Gas is championing 'Don't Do It Yourself' (DDIY), a simple message to know your limits when it comes to household repairs and stick to something you can confidently take care of while the professionals get to work, such as making the tea. To bring the idea to life, British Gas took an oversized toolbox with a difference onto the streets of London, dispensing cups of tea rather than tools.
Celia Syme, Director of Customer Delivery at British Gas, said: "Every day, our engineers help customers with all sorts of jobs around the home, and we know how important it is to have someone you can rely on when things go wrong."
"Our engineers have had over 1 million 10 out of 10 ratings so far this year, which is something we're incredibly proud of. It's a brilliant reflection of the work our teams do and the difference they make to households across the country."
"While there are plenty of jobs people can confidently tackle themselves, some are best left to those with the right expertise. Sometimes the handiest thing you can do is put the kettle on and let an expert take care of the rest."
While Brits are happy to tackle everyday household tasks, including painting a wall (68%), hanging pictures (66%) and fixing a loose door handle (50%), they are more likely to leave specialist jobs to the professionals. The jobs we would rather leave to a professional include repairing a boiler (73%), repairing or altering electrical wiring (68%) and fixing a radiator or central heating system (66%).
