Why are the British spending a lot less on DIY?

According to the latest lifestyle report from Mintel – Brits are spending a lot less on DIY than they used to

Back in 2008 one in five claimed that they would spend a £1,000 windfall on home repairs, but that figure has dropped to only 1 in ten. It seems that as our budgets have become tighter we are re-evaluating out priorities. According to the report our top three priorities are now paying the bills, adding to our savings for that rainy day and saving for big ticket purchases – leaving little or no cash for home repairs, maintenance and redecoration.

 These are worrying statistics as not only does a lack of maintenance potentially result in a very expensive emergency, but it also affects how we feel about our homes and our lives. Brightening up your living space can give you a real boost. It can be as good, if not better than going on holiday. And in troubled times we need to find every little way we can to make ourselves feel more positive and in control of our lives.

In addition we Brits are spending more evenings in front of the TV as nights out become more of a treat. And this means more of us are cooking from scratch, which can only be good for our health, waistlines and wellbeing.

Feeling the pinch? Hurry up and enter our competition and you could win a gift card from B&Q worth £150 – just think what you could do with that….and how much better you will feel with a newly decorated home. 

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Time for me to stop papering over the cracks!

I had great fun today!  I was invited by the lovely people at B&Q to try out one of their ‘You can do it’ courses.  Their courses are run from various branches around the UK and are aimed at making it easier for you to do DIY. The idea is to give you the confidence to have a go in your own home. The stores have a special section where they run the courses with proper working mock ups of rooms so you get a real hands-on experience. So not only will you be able to create your own dream home…you’ll be able to save a fortune doing all those nagging little jobs yourself!

The courses last about three hours and include a range of different techniques to learn.  The one I attended was about hanging patterned wallpaper.  Now if I’m going to be really honest here, I have to admit that my heart sank just a little. As a seasoned decorator I did wonder what on earth are they were going to find to fill 3 hours!   

But I was pleasantly surprised!  Not only did the time whizz by, but I learned some really useful new techniques as well. Like most people I’m self taught when it comes to decorating so it was great to get a professional’s viewpoint and learn the proper way to tackle turning a corner etc.It made me realise how long I'd been papering over the cracks in my knowledge...and how much time I could save by doing things properly from the start.

It was good fun, I worked with some great people, I definitely came home with some really useful tips…..and an overwhelming urge to redecorate my living room!

I would definitely recommend that you have a go – it doesn’t matter how much we think we know, we can always learn something new.