| By :
Martin Hofschroer
British homeowners would rather employ qualified tradesmen than undertake DIY around the house, according to a study. Research by Woolwich mortgages revealed that half of people surveyed confessed that they did not enjoy performing DIY and 75 per cent said they are bored with watching home makeover television programmes. A significant number of disgruntled DIYers explained that they possessed a lack of enthusiasm for home improvements with 40 per cent saying that they did not have the time and 22 per cent believing it is a chore that detracts from their leisure time. Head of mortgages for Woolwich Andy Gray said: "People think their own time is precious and with the added concern that they are not going to do a good job, people are increasingly turning to experts to get the job done." The survey found that 37 per cent of people may benefit from taking introductory plumbing courses and electrical courses as they were dissuaded from doing DIY as they felt they were likely to bodge a task. Some respondents said they were happy to leave practical household tasks to fully trained tradesmen who had completed the appropriate plumbing courses and electrical courses and are accredited and qualified. Woolwich found that 65 per cent of homeowners would leave electrical tasks to people who had completed electrical courses while 63 per cent would hire tradesmen who have passed plumbing courses to undertake plumbing work. Andy Gray said that it was important to employ qualified people for complex home improvement projects as dodgy DIY can significantly reduce the value of a property and possibly invalidate home insurance. "Home improvements can make a tangible difference to the value of peoples homes, but a bad standard of work can drag the price down. Savvy buyers can often see through botched DIY jobs, meaning that sellers will either need to drop the price or employ an expert to re-do the task," he added. Denis Hird, chief executive of JTL, has urged parents to encourage their children to consider a career as a plumber or electrician in order to combat any future skills shortages in the construction industry. Mr Hird said that it was preferable for people to take plumbing courses and electrical courses after school as opposed to university degrees as a recently qualified electrician or plumber can expect to earn up to £36,000. Graduates are more likely to be saddled with debt and start a career earning a low salary, according to Denis Hird.
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