Did you Do It Yourself over Easter?

If the figures coming from Retail Desicions (ReD) are to be believed, a larger number of homeowners did tackle a DIY task.  If you Did It Yourself over the Easter break, are you one of the unfortunate ones, counting the cost of your efforts?

Many homeowners are now rethinking getting experts in as their purse strings are tightening.  This is all well and good for an experienced DIY enthusiast, or someone who already works in the building trade, however the less experienced home improvers may be seriously damaging their homes - reducing the property's value or even putting themselves and loved ones at risk!

A report today from Santander confirms that DIY disasters are costing £331 million in damages - no small amount!  According to the report, 72% of british people who are planning on improving their homes this year will choose to tackle the work themselves.  That's 20% more than last year, confirming the suspicion that the challenging economic climate has driven people to pick up a screwdriver for the first time.

According to the report, 14% of DIYers have some form of accident or make a mistake, costing, on average, £344 to repair the damage.

As the Easter Bank Holidays have just passed, thoughts are probably bubbling up in homeowners minds to prepare for the next two bank holidays in May when they can crack on with other home improvements, as is normal for the spring season.  Granted, there's very little permanent damage you can do with a paintbrush and roller, but over-enthusiastic DIYers may choose to tackle more challenging tasks which may have been better left to the professionals.

More complex tasks being tackled include tiling the bathroom, fitting kitchen appliances, woodwork and carpentry, garden improvements such as laying a patio or bricklaying and roof repairs.


If you're planning for your next Bank Holiday's DIY, you may want to consider preparing more than just your shopping list.  TradePlumbing recommends before embarking on anything more challenging than giving your room a fresh lick of paint, you should fully research the task at hand and give careful consideration to calling in an expert.

To help homeowners make the most of their own resources, there are a number of helpful articles to get you thinking.  The site has articles on choosing the right colour scheme for your bathroom and helpful hints on how to bleed your radiator.  They also offer a small number of White Papers to help with more involved tasks, such as dealing with bathroom stains and dealing with bathroom plumbing emergencies.

If you're confident in your own skills, or have an expert in the family on whom you can call if you hit a tricky spot, then now is the time to order in your bathroom suite or shower enclosure, to make sure that it arrives in time for the next long weekend.

Above all, Plan, Plan Plan!