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Londoners say no to DIY and turn to experts

Posted 14 March 2017 by Ben Salisbury

New research suggests 70% of Londoners employed outside help for home improvements and many opted to employ a handyman even for simple DIY jobs

The limitations of Londoners DIY skills is laid bare by a new survey that suggests many homeowners in the capital would pay someone to fix simple problems rather than do it themselves.

Portico London Estate Agents published research which 70% of homeowners in London have paid for a handyman or maintenance services in 2016, with over half spending more than £1,000 on handyman or maintenance services in 2016.

This could be because Londoners are so busy and time constraints put them off from doing it themselves or because experience shows many that using an expert reduces the likelihood of a DIY disaster and using an expert is cheaper in the long run.

However, 82% of Londoners did attempt DIY home improvements every month in 2016, with almost 20% spending over £1,000 on materials over the whole year, suggesting that improving an existing home rather than moving is a priority for the majority.

It is perhaps not surprising that of those questioned who did employ someone else, the most popular areas were for specialist jobs like plumbing and electrical work.

What is surprising is that one in three Londoners opted to pay others to carry out painting and decorating work and 28% paid others to do gardening and outside work on their properties.

Similarly, 21% would even employ someone to change a light and 11% would pay out for a handyman to hang up shelves.

The analysis showed that part of the reason is the growth in availability of DIY experts willing to do small jobs rather than just take on big projects.

Their use of online sites that offer feedback, reviews and recommendations is popular with Londoners who use this facility to research and hire professionals for even small jobs, with recommendations the number one thing they look for in a tradesman, above expertise and price.

Robert Nichols, Managing Director of Portico estate agents & Portico Handyman, says: “In today’s market, if you’re thinking of selling, it’s imperative your house is looking its best, whether that’s with a fresh lick of paint, a new bathroom or kitchen, or improved kerb appeal. Home improvements will not only boost the value of a property, they’ll also lead to a quicker sale - so hiring a handyman is certainly not a false economy.

“In fact, if you find a competitive day rate and get all your DIY jobs in one sweep, hiring a handyman or tradesman can actually be very cost-effective.

“We’ve noticed a growing demand for ‘small DIY jobs’ and reliable tradesmen, which is why we’re investing heavily in the Portico Handyman service.”

B&Q was the most popular retailer for buying equipment in London, followed by Homebase.

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