DIY leads to relationship cracks in the South East

A survey conducted by The Co-operative Insurance has found 43 per cent of people have argued with a loved one about fixing up the home.

Jobs being left unfinished was the top reason for disagreements among homeowners with other quarrels caused by disputes over cost or being sick of waiting for a partner to start a task.

The top five reasons are listed below:

1)Because they got sick of waiting for their partner to do the DIY

2)Because their loved one started a job and didn’t finish

3)Disagreement over cost

4)Because the job ended up in disaster

5)Disagreement over how the job should be done

The survey also found almost two thirds of people in the South East refuse to clean out their gutters themselves and more than a third won’t put up any pictures.

Around 25 per cent won’t change a light bulb and half won’t attempt to put up shelves themselves.

Across the UK there is a similar trend with 53 per cent of people who don’t do DIY admitting they would rely on partners to do everything from changing a light bulb to laying flooring.

Almost a quarter said their nearest and dearest had refused to help them with DIY tasks whilst one in ten said they are too busy themselves.

One in 20 have declined to help because they had ‘DIY fatigue’, meaning they had been asked to lend a hand too many times, whilst 33 per cent said not knowing how to do the jobs was the main reason for not attempting the work.

Other reasons include preferring to pay someone to do it, 18 per cent, or having tried to do jobs before and it ending in disaster, 17 per cent.

Caroline Hunter, head of home insurance at The Co-operative Insurance, said: “Updating your home can be a rewarding experience, whether it’s doing the work yourself or calling in friends, family or a local tradesperson to help.

“However, we would always urge people to consider the possible implications of DIY going wrong.

“We would recommend that people double-check what their home insurance covers in advance of carrying out any work and assess whether it covers all of their needs.

“While accidental damage insurance provides peace of mind in case of any spills or damage to the home, it is additional cover and should be considered ahead of planning more complex DIY tasks. It’s just as important to check that any tradespeople coming into your home have the relevant insurance in case they have any accidents or cause damage to the property. Having the right insurance in place will ensure there is less to argue about if things don’t go to plan!”

Other statistics found in the survey are listed below:

Top DIY tasks where paid help is needed across the UK for major jobs include:

1) Electric wiring (60%)

2) Roofing (59%)

3) Plastering (55%)

4) Fixing a leaking pipe (44%) = Laying wooden/laminate flooring (44%)

5) Tiling (40%)

Top DIY tasks where paid help is need across the UK for minor jobs:

1) Putting up an exterior light (33%)

2) Fixing a leaking tap (30%)

3) Wallpapering (26%) = Fixing garden fencing (26%) = Unblocking gutters (26%)

4) Grouting (23%)

5) Unblocking a drain (18%)

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