According to a recent survey commissioned by waste removal experts HIPPO, over half of Brits (52%) avoid DIY due to their lack of skills, while 46% admit to simply not having the confidence.
On a mission to help Brits access their inner DIY hero, HIPPO has partnered with TV presenter – turned self-taught DIY enthusiast – Dom Wood to help people feel less overwhelmed when it comes to home and garden improvement jobs.
While almost a third of Brits (31%) say they don’t know where to start when it comes to home and garden improvements and 9% claim not to own any tools at all, budget also plays a factor. Over a quarter of those surveyed stated they’d be putting money into home and garden improvements (26%), rather than moving this year and 40% said they’d be doing these jobs themselves this year to help cut costs, highlighting the importance of empowering people with DIY skills.
The survey has also shone a light on thousands of empty toolboxes across the UK, with 38% of UK adults admitting to not owning a hammer and 37% not having a screwdriver or a tape measure to hand. With 34% of Brits not owning a trowel and 34% without a spade, garden improvements are also grinding to a halt.
With 26% of UK adults saying they would dedicate their bank holidays to DIY tasks and 57% saying they would utilise their weekends to get home improvement jobs done, Dom has teamed up with HIPPO to provide a series of tips, hints and tricks ahead of the extra bank holidays Brits have on offer this year. As a self-confessed DIY enthusiast, with an Instagram and TikTok page dedicated entirely to sharing his own home and garden improvements, his advice is geared towards inspiring others to simply try their hand at something new.
Dom, who initially took to DIY during the lockdown and has been sharing his hacks and tips on social media ever since, says: “I’m a true believer that DIY should be accessible to everyone – it’s all about having a go and learning how to approach tasks that may have seemed overwhelming at first. For some, that might mean mastering a quick and easy way to hang a picture in your living room, while for others it could be learning how to clear a blocked drain or upcycling a piece of garden furniture.
“While of course there are certain jobs that are best suited to professionals from a safety perspective, with the right tools, some confidence and a have-a-go attitude, anything is possible.
Clearing up afterwards can sometimes be one of the most time-consuming parts, but HIPPOBAGs really do take all the stress and mess away and ultimately provide one less excuse to crack on with the DIY job you may have been putting off! I hope my top tips help people tackling those DIY projects this spring and summer.”
Gareth Lloyd-Jones, MD of HIPPO comments: “Working with Dom has helped us to uncover some simple and accessible DIY tips and tricks for the DIY jobs people sometimes feel too overwhelmed or inexperienced to attempt. Our aim is to help people across the UK access their inner DIY hero, update their toolkit and tackle some of the home and garden improvement jobs they’ve always wanted to try.
“We want to help people across the UK feel confident and excited when attempting their next DIY project, with our handy HIPPOBAGs which ensure that over 95% of all waste collected is recycled, we’re ready and waiting to dispose of waste quickly, easily and ethically once a DIY job is done and dusted.”
Available to buy online at hippowaste.co.uk or through the HIPPO App, HIPPOBAG prices start at £14.99 for the MIDI Bag or £199.99 for the MIDI Bag with collection. These clever skip bags come in three handy flat-packed sizes so they don’t take up valuable room outside your home until you need to use them.
For more information, please call HIPPO on 0333 999 0 999 or visit www.hippowaste.co.uk/diy-
Dom’s DIY Tips
1. A lick of paint can go a long way
Painting a room, exterior wall or piece of furniture is a guaranteed way to make an instant impact in your home or garden, but it’s one of the jobs we least look forward to doing.
To help reduce waste and ensure your painting area is kept nice and tidy, stretch an elastic band over the length of your paint tin and shift it across into the middle to help you get any excess paint off your brush and avoid unwanted spillages.
Make sure you cover your paint tray and brushes with cling film between painting sessions to help save additional time, energy and paint.
2. Always make sure you’ve got the right tools for the job
It may sound obvious, but before you start any DIY job, you need to make sure you have the right tools to hand.
HIPPO’s research shows that 38% of Brits don’t own a hammer while 34% say they don’t have the right tools overall.
If you’re creating a DIY starter kit, my top tool recommendations are a hammer, screwdriver, tape measure, drill and pliers.
3. Keep things tidy to help save time
Here’s a simple trick for keeping things tidy when drilling holes in a wall. Grab a couple of post-it notes, fold them in half and place the sticky strip on to the wall directly underneath the hole to create your very own makeshift tray for collecting drill hole dust. So simple, but so effective.
To keep on track of bigger indoor or outdoor mess that comes from your DIY projects, consider a HIPPOBAG. You can fill it up and book a collection with HIPPO to take it away – plus you can rest easy knowing that the waste will be disposed of ethically with at least 95% being recycled.
4. Always start small
The trick with DIY is often to start off small and slowly build up your confidence. One of my favourite tips is to hang a picture up on the wall with limited hassle.
1.Squeeze a little bit of toothpaste on the outside of the nail hook hanger on the back of the picture frame
2.Place the picture on the wall where you’d like to hang it
3.Once the picture is precisely positioned, press down a little, allowing the toothpaste to naturally leave its mark on the wall, this will leave a clear mark where you need to put the nail
5. Skill-share with friends and family
If you’ve recently learned a new DIY skill or discovered a quick and easy tip or trick, make sure you share it with others, as just over 1 in 4 (26%1) of us admit to not educating others on how to do DIY tasks. Sharing tips is so important as we often assume other people are better at DIY than us but in fact 52%1 of Brits avoid DIY due to their lack of skills and 46%1 admit to not having the confidence.
6. Pay attention to detail
DIY shelves are great for extra storage or displays in any room. While it might seem overwhelming choosing a position or ensuring they’re straight, a little extra effort can go a long way in making the job much more efficient.
When putting up shelves at home, I use masking tape to visualise where the shelf will go and to help mark out where the nails will be drilled.
1. Firstly, use the masking tape on the back of your shelf to mark your screw holes, then peel your tape off
2. Transfer the tape to the wall, and use a spirit level to make sure everything is straight before drilling where you have marked on the tape
3. Peel away the tape and add in the screws