O
ver the past decade DIY
stores have been closing
rapidly and some might
argue that the demise of
DIY is down to the fact that
home ownership is on the
decline, as more of us are forced to rent,
unable to get on the property ladder. Yet,
undeniably, today’s disposable generation
of 20- and 30-somethings don’t seem to
possess the traditional “dad skills” of our
past generations and would rather buy
new than make do and mend.
During the 90’s DIY home improvement
shows used to be all the rage – Changing
Rooms, Grand Designs and DIY SOS all
had primetime television shows but now
the focus has shifted being replaced by
reality shows such as Towie, X-Factor &
Strictly Come Dancing to name but a few.
Whilst this skillset shift bods well for
tradesman with people today increasingly
employing professionals to undertake the
work for them, we ask, WHY HAS THE
MODERN MAN FALLEN OUT OF LOVE
WITH DIY?
Firstly modern men have no idea how to
carry out basic DIY jobs around the home
- with millions unable to even change a
light bulb. Laziness and hectic lifestyles
seem to be the main reason however
some would say that education also
plays a part, gone are the days or woodshop & metal work instead replaced by
IT & media studies this in turn has turned
today’s men into a nation of DIY dunces
from changing a light bulb, while 26 %
admitted to struggling to rewire a plug.
A quarter of men admit they find it difficult to
put up shelves and the same numbers don’t
even know how to bleed a radiator. Even
hanging a picture on the wall would leave
one in six men scratching their heads
in wonderment.
Other simple tasks which leave men
struggling include changing a fuse,
building flat-pick furniture and stopping a
leaking tap.
Bal Mattu, founder of tradesman
marketplace website Comcero.com,
which commissioned the research, said:
‘There was a time when you could rely on
almost any man when it came to DIY jobs
in the home.
But it seems to be a sign of the times
that nowadays, even the most basic
of jobs like changing a light bulb or
replacing a fuse are too difficult for
some men’.
While one in five put their poor DIY
skills down to laziness, another 22%
claimed they were simply too busy to
do the jobs themselves, add to that the
daunting task of visiting your local DIY
store to be amazed and astonished at
the prices it seems little wonder that
most young men are turning to employing
the professionals.
who would rather call in professional help
than carry out the work themselves.
So as the decline of DIY echoes through
today’s youth we can look forward to the
rise of YDIFM - You Do it For Me!
A recent survey carried out across the UK
showed that a poll of 3,000 men aged 50
or under found that 15 % the equivalent of
2.1 million British blokes would shy away
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