So, like, apparently, nearly five million Brits are totally stressing about their DIY projects going all wonky this Bank Holiday. According to a survey of 3,000 adults, 22 per cent are planning to get their hands dirty with some home improvements over the long weekend. But get this – a whopping 41 per cent admit they have like, zero confidence in their DIY skills. Yikes! That’s a whole lot of potential disasters waiting to happen.
The research also found that when things go haywire, it costs an average of £106 to fix a DIY disaster. The top blunders include trying to fix leaky taps (15 per cent), toilet flushes (13 per cent), and decorating mishaps (12 per cent). Some folks even messed up bleeding a radiator (10 per cent) or repressurising a boiler (six per cent). Sounds like a recipe for disaster, if you ask me.
London seems to be the epicenter of DIY disasters, with the average person in the city messing up four times in the past year and shelling out £162 to fix the mess. To tackle this issue, Ding has launched its Toolbox Amnesty in major DIY stores in London, urging Brits to take a break from their tools over the bank holiday weekend and leave it to the experts. Chris Houghton from Ding said, “We all love the idea of saving money by doing it ourselves – but as our research shows, DIY can quickly turn into a very expensive mistake.”
The main reason behind DIY disasters seems to be a lack of know-how, with 31 per cent of those who messed up citing this as the cause. As a result, 22 per cent had to call in a pro to fix their blunder. Others caused cosmetic damage (18 per cent), sprung a leak (13 per cent), and five per cent even caused an electrical outage. Oof, talk about a hot mess!
When it comes to Bank Holiday plans, painting the home (31 per cent) and sprucing up fences (17 per cent) are at the top of the to-do list. Many are also gearing up to pressure wash patios (13 per cent), put up shelves (13 per cent), or tackle a blocked gutter (13 per cent). Chris Houghton from Ding added, “Our Toolbox Amnesty is designed to take the pressure off, and if you send us a picture of a previous DIY mishap, you could win 12 months free cover.” Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right?
So, here’s a list of the top 10 most botched DIY jobs that people seem to struggle with:
1. Fixing a leaky tap
2. Fixing the toilet flush
3. Decorating (painting, wallpapering)
4. Unclogging a toilet
5. Fixing broken furniture
6. Building flatpack furniture
7. Putting up shelves
8. Unclogging a blocked sink
9. Hanging curtains or blinds
10. Bleeding the radiator
So, like, if you’re planning to tackle any of these tasks this Bank Holiday, maybe it’s best to think twice or just call in the pros. Trust me, it could save you a whole lot of time, money, and headaches in the long run. Better safe than sorry, right?
