BRITAIN is becoming nation of DIY experts as homeowners increasingly turn their hand to big jobs around the house to save money rather than pay big bills to professional workmen, says Ideal Home Improvement Ambassador George Clarke
“DIY is making a big resurgence in Britain at the moment. With the rising costs of living, homeowners are now looking for more ways to save money and cutting back on household expenses. So, with this increasing need to save, homeowners are now being encouraged to do their own DIY again” said George.
However, the experience of bad DIY can also put people off. With botched or unfinished projects often leaving your once beautiful home in a worse state than before you started, some homeowners are apprehensive about embarking on DIY for fear of devaluing the property.
According to a recent survey by B&Q just four in ten people believe they have the necessary skills to tackle DIY projects themselves. As a nation it is evident that we are getting worse at doing simple tasks such as fixing a light, tiling the bathroom or putting up a set of shelves.
“It’s time we started giving homeowners the confidence to embark on their own DIY projects and teach the nation how to do DIY properly, as well as providing the tools to do it themselves” added George.
This year, George Clarke and the Ideal Home Show and B&Q are looking to encourage Brits to tackle their own DIY challenges, helping homeowners save money by showing them how to transform their homes on any kind of budget as well as teaching people the tricks of the trade of how to be a DIY expert.
The resurgence of DIY in Britain also comes at as Grant Schapps MP, Housing Minister at the Department for Communities and Local Government, also announced his ‘Tenant Cashback’ scheme which will allow house-proud residents to take over more of their repairs budget and carry out their own DIY or choose a local handyman to do the work. Any savings made will be theirs to pocket.
“Companies like the ideal Home Show and B&Q are mobilising the nation to help make DIY easier and value for money, quality products more accessible and affordable” said George.
This year’s show offers a range of practical sessions in the ‘How To Theatre’ in association with B&Q where all members of the family can learn new skills including energy saving solutions, plastering, painting, wallpapering, flooring and sessions on how to create fabulous and co-ordinated looks within the home, and how to do DIY properly, as well as offering a variety of brands and suppliers who can help people understand how to improve their homes or even self-build.
B&Q’s team of You Can Do It instructors, all highly experienced DIYers who teach daily DIY classes at 15 You Can Do It centres located in B&Q stores around the UK will also be on hand offering a series of daily workshops throughout the 17 days. Visitors will also receive a postcard including details of each project and product used to take away with them.
“The Ideal Home Show is a perfect place for consumers to come and see a variety of products, with manufacturers and companies offering expert advice on how to do it properly. If you’re embarking on a DIY project these initiatives are great way to give people the confidence to do it themselves” added George Clarke.
The show’s ideal Interiors Ambassador Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is also on a mission to spruce up our living rooms and aims to make us a nation with the world’s best interiors, alongside Dan Hill the UK’s leading expert in reclaimed building materials and construction waste who will show you how easy it is to take an old bit of furniture and show you how to turn it into something amazing.
B&Q Ambassador Kirstie Allsopp will also be hosting a special Jubilee themed ‘Get the look’ workshop on the 28th March in which she will pass on her tips for styling your home as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations this summer.
Money Saving expert Martin Lewis will also be on hand on Friday 16th March from 11.30am offering advice on how to save money on the cost of living at this year’s show.
It’s not only inside the house where people can get back to DIY, but in the garden too. The gloomy outlook on the cost of landscaping and garden maintenance combined with some poor summers, has led to a decline in the number of people looking to invest in their outside space, focusing on more pressing household maintenance. But Alan Titchmarsh, TV presenter and Ambassador for the ideal Gardens section sponsored by Hydropool at the Ideal Home Show is encouraging homeowners to take to the lawn and do it themselves in the garden:
Alan Titchmarsh commented: “A garden always looks better when it’s maintained properly. But there are ways that you can make your money go further. I want to make people think and say ‘I can do that’. I want to inspire people with ideas, so that they get back into the garden and give it a go themselves”.
This year’s ideal gardens sponsored by Hydropool will be showcasing beautiful gardens in different situations, and offering practical DIY advice for landscaping your garden.
The Ideal Home show by Hydropool is also calling for entries into the annual DIY Dad of the year competition sponsored by B&Q. Following on from the success of last year, the competition – to be hosted by George Clarke – will see all willing Dads compete against each other, answering a series of rapid fire questions in a pub style quiz, with the 3 highest scoring dads going through to the final with a guaranteed £250 prize.
From here they will go for GOLD as they battle it out in a series of practical DIY challenges that may include flat pack furniture assembly, laying a floor, a delicate painting task, or even wiring a plug!
The competition is expected to be fierce with B&Q’s offer of £1000 to spend in store for the winner as well as the coveted title, providing the perfect incentive. Not content with providing fantastic prizes, B&Q’s team of DIY experts will be on hand to cheer our dads on and ensure that the boys play fair.
The DIY competition will take place on Thursday 29th March 2012 in the ‘How to’ Theatre sponsored by B&Q at the Ideal Home Show, Earls Court London.
George Commented: “This is a brilliant, fun competition for the family. Initiatives like this are exactly what the country needs to encourage people to roll up their sleeves and re-build DIY Britain again! I’m looking forward to extending this to women and kids next year. Who knows, maybe we’ll create the DIY family of the year.”
Together, ideal Home Show ambassadors George Clarke and Alan Titchmarsh and our range of guest speakers are hoping to inspire millions of people around the UK to get back to household DIY.
For further information on this and a full schedule of the sessions taking place on the ‘How to’ Theatre in association with B&Q just visit the home improvement section of www.idealhomeshow.co.uk.