Surprising UK DIY Trends Revealed

Calling all DIY enthusiasts! At SGS Engineering, as the UK's premier gas struts manufacturer and tool retailer, we conducted a UK-wide survey that delves into the state of DIY skills across the country – with some eye-opening results.  

The results reveal a fascinating overview of DIY confidence, gender disparities, and the most and least DIY-savvy cities in the UK.

Brummies Takes the Crown

According to the survey, Birmingham emerges as the DIY capital of the UK, with an impressive 50% of residents feeling confident in their DIY skills. Not far behind, Brighton, Leeds, London, and Belfast/Newcastle make up the top five 'most confident' cities for DIYers.

Top 5 ‘most confident’ UK Cities for DIY-ers: 

1.Birmingham – 50% 

2. Brighton – 47% 

3.Leeds – 46% 

4.London – 41% 

5.Belfast=Newcastle – 39% 

On the flip side, Liverpool and Edinburgh residents rated themselves as the 'least confident' at DIY, with just 26% feeling assured in their skills. Bristol, Glasgow, Sheffield, and Manchester/Nottingham follow suit as the cities with the least DIY confidence.

Top 5 ‘least confident’ UK Cities for DIY-ers: 

1.Liverpool/Edinburgh – 26% 

2.Bristol – 24% 

3.Glasgow – 22% 

4.Sheffield – 21% 

5.Manchester=Nottingham – 20% 

DIY Confidence Across Gender and Age

The survey also exposes interesting trends when it comes to gender and age. Half of men believe they possess 'highly' or 'some' experience in DIY, while only 27% of women share the same sentiment.

Age plays a role too, with those aged 18-24 exhibiting the highest confidence, in contrast to those aged 55 and above expressing the least confidence.

Notably, almost a quarter of women (23%) admit to having zero DIY experience, a figure significantly higher than the 9% of men who confessed to the same. The age groups 18-25 and 25-34 emerge as the most confident in tackling substantial DIY projects.

 

DIY Skills shortage

More than half of Brits (56%) believe there is a shortage of skilled DIY professionals. The survey also sheds light on the specific DIY tasks Brits are most confident in tackling themselves, including replacing bulbs, hanging pictures, and painting walls.

Replacing a bulb or light fixture	50.05%
Hanging pictures, mirrors, or shelves	46.30%
Painting or patching walls	46.05%
Changing a fuse	41.55%
Assembling flat-pack furniture	40.85%
Gardening and landscaping	36.45%
Installing blinds and curtains	29.90%
Replacing doorknobs and locks	29.40%
Installing smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors	23.55%
Basic plumbing skills (e.g. unclogging a drain, fixing leaks)	23.50%

 

Avoiding DIY:

The research further explores the DIY jobs Brits are most confident in handling, such as replacing a bulb, hanging pictures, or painting walls. On the flip side, the top reasons for avoiding DIY projects include a lack of skills (31.85%), fear of causing damage (23.40%), and a shortage of confidence (22.50%), tools (18.70%), or equipment.

Lack of skills	31.85%
Fear of causing damage	23.40%
Lack of confidence	22.50%
Lack of tools and equipment	18.70%
Complexity	17.45%

 

Young DIY’ers:

Delving deeper into the data, the survey reveals that the age groups 18-25 and 25-34 emerge as the most confident in tackling substantial DIY projects, with 50% of respondents from both categories expressing their willingness. In contrast, the confidence among those aged 55 and above drops to just 7%.

The survey also highlights gender disparities, with almost a quarter of women (23%) confessing to having zero DIY experience, a figure significantly higher than the 9% of men.

Sam Williams, our DIY expert at SGS Engineering, discusses the survey findings and emphasises the importance of fostering DIY proficiency across the UK. Williams states, “The results of this survey highlight the need for fostering DIY proficiency across the UK. It's alarming to note the significant percentage of Brits who feel they lack the necessary skills to tackle DIY projects.

"As a longstanding supporter of DIY enthusiasts, we are committed to playing our part in addressing this issue. We will continue to provide top-quality tools, resources, and expert guidance to empower individuals, regardless of gender or age, to take on DIY projects with confidence.”

As Birmingham takes the lead in the DIY revolution, our survey provides valuable insights into the state of DIY skills across the UK.

The survey highlights the need for fostering DIY proficiency and our commitment to empowering individuals to tackle projects with confidence.

So, whether you're a seasoned DIY pro or a novice, it's time to pick up those tools and join the DIY nation!