Being DIY competent!

The 2020s can be considered the decade of working from home. This dramatic change to work and home life has led to a large shift in how people treat their homes. A recent DIY movement has struck the UK, motivated by dissatisfaction with being stuck working in one place.

Whether it was some simple DIY repair or a more complex upscale project, DIY has taken off running, which has led to questions on who is more proficient in DIY tasks. Many people consider older generations more confident and capable of performing DIY jobs around the house. However, a recent study conducted by Chums has shown that this is, in fact, untrue. 

Improving your DIY skills.

If the recent changes to the style of living have motivated you to try and change up your home, but the trial of DIY is discouraging you, here are some top tips on how to improve your DIY skills and rise to the challenge.

Following a How-to Guide book

Sometimes the classics really are the best method of learning. How-to guides are an ideal way to help improve your skills; how-to guides such as “How to Fix Everything for Dummies”, “Plumbing Do-It-Yourself For Dummies”, Home Basics’ “Plumbing Made Easy”, or “Collins Complete DIY”. These guides help teach home maintenance and DIY basics and help establish a general understanding. 

Join a DIY course/group 

There are plenty of DIY courses out there, both online and in-person; if you prefer hands-on and or personal teachings, then these option is best for you.

As well as courses, you can also join DIY groups, Facebook groups such as DIY On A Budget UK or local groups where fellow DIYers of all levels can share their own experience and advice. 

Following Video Tutorials. 

With the boom of social media forums, sharing and watching videos is easier than ever. Popular methods of learning include following popular DIY channels on youtube and TikTok.

These videos help document the accounts personal progress and often show viewers how to replicate the results. This is a popular method of self-teaching the modern digital era. 

The Benefits of DIY

According to Chum’s data, over 41% of Baby Boomers and Generation X and 31% of Millenials and Generation Z are comfortable learnt their skills from DIY videos. This is considerably more than those who learnt from Books with only 14.6% of Baby Boomers and Generation X and only 1.2% of Millenials and Generation Z.

However, Chum’s data did not take into account for learning from google searches or learning as you go, which were answers given by those questioned however could not be added to the percentage stats chums gathered.

Another easily forgotten DIY and maintenance skill is that of Car Maintenance. With over 77% of households in Britain in possession of a car.

Tasks such as checking your car’s oil may sound simple enough; however, a study last year found that a third of Brits don’t know how to check their oil levels! Learning to be self-sufficient in looking after your car can help reduce damage to your vehicle, which may result in costly garage costs. 

In conclusion, whilst not everyone is DIY savvy, the divide in these skills is not generational, with confidence in ability being evenly split across the generations.

The main thing to keep in mind is that giving it a go yourself may save you money, but don’t feel ashamed if you need to ask for help or advice or even rely on a professional, as not everyone can be a jack of all trades!