Today

Although the peak season for home improvements is only just beginning, many Brits are falling out of love with DIY, a study suggests.

According to a recent survey by Woolwich mortgages, half of people admitted that they don't actually like DIY.

And an overwhelming 75 per cent said they are fed-up with watching home makeover programmes.

The main reasons for the lack of enthusiasm with DIY is not having the time (40 per cent), likely to botch it (37 per cent) and 22 per cent believing it's a chore that eats into leisure time.

Instead, 70 per cent of the nation's homeowners would rather get somebody in, or at least consider it before undertaking any DIY.

Andy Gray, Woolwich: "People think their own time is precious and with the added concern that they are not going to do a good job, people are increasingly turning to experts to get the job done."

Tiling, carpeting, plumbing and decorating all make the top 10 list of jobs where people feel they should employ an expert.

The research also looked at the percentage of DIY tasks which go unfinished and revealed that a fifth of painting and decorating jobs don't get completed, followed by landscaping the garden at 14 per cent.

Andy Gray, head of mortgages for Woolwich, said: "People think their own time is precious and with the added concern that they are not going to do a good job, people are increasingly turning to experts to get the job done.

"Home improvements can make a tangible difference to the value of peoples homes, but a bad standard of work can drag the price down.

"Savvy buyers can often see through botched DIY jobs, meaning that sellers will either need to drop the price or employ an expert to re-do the task."

Jobs to be Done For You (DFU) rather than DIY
1. Electrics (65 per cent)
2. Plumbing (63 per cent)
3. Extension (59 per cent)
4. Installing a new kitchen and bathroom (58 per cent)
5. Carpeting (53 per cent)
6. Tiling or flooring (48 per cent)
7. Replacing a fire (47 per cent)
8. Landscaping the garden (43 per cent)
9. Putting up sheds (38 per cent)
10. Painting and decorating (35 per cent)
Source: Woolwich