Britons are becoming increasingly ambitious with their DIY projects as they attempt to save money by avoiding paying tradesmen, a new study has found.
Research by Sainsbury’s Home Insurance discovered that 65 per cent of adults have undertaken DIY projects during the past 12 months.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, internal painting and decorating was the most common type of work done by the amateur handymen, but plenty of people attempted more advanced tasks.
Minor electrical repairs, plumbing jobs and tiling were all popular tasks with DIYers, while more than ten per cent of people turned their hand to fitting a kitchen or bathroom and eight per cent tried some plastering.
The insurer estimated that householders have saved around £49 billion over the past year by turning to DIY, but warned anyone thinking of undertaking their own repairs or improvements to check that they are insured before they open their toolbox.
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics last week showed that DIY sales remained healthy during March, despite a sharp drop in overall sales in the household goods sector.