DIY Dialysis Machine
At my school, everyone was forced to do Craft and Design and nobody liked it and such was the apathy towards our GCSE course work, there were more shelf units and CD racks than you'd see in Ikea on delivery day.
But not Andrew Thompson. Andrew Thompson was a quiet guy, got on with his work, wore his rucksack unnecessarily high on his back - you know the type. Andrew Thompson rocks up on deadline day with an electric violin - impressive for a 15 year old I think you'll agree.
But even Andrew would be impressed by Malcolm Coulthard who built a scaled down dialysis machine for his patient Millie Kelly, who was too small to use conventional equipment. After two years of treatment on the invention, she's now said to be "fit as a fiddle" - if only I'd had the idea 10 years ago, I might have got more than a B....
DIY costs rise by 20 per cent over two years
The cost of doing DIY has soared by 20% because of a shortage of tradesmen and the rising costs of transport.
The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has released the figures to coincide with the launch of its Property Makeover Price Guide, which gives homeowners an insight into how much a DIY project will cost them.
The 20 per cent rise has occurred over two years with the escalating price of crude oil said to be the biggest contributing factor with the credit crunch also playing a major role.
DIY Dangers – Homeowners who avoid tradesmen
As we head into summer, homeowners will be putting pocketing their wallets and pulling out their toolboxes - as a new survey from ProblemSolved.co.uk reveals 3 in 4 people would rather attempt DIY for home improvement projects than hire a professional.
And whilst the statistic may be a reflection on a general slowdown in spending, new research also suggests that many homeowners attempting maintenance work themselves aren’t covered against subsequent problems arising from bungled attempts..
According to Comparethemarket.com, only 13% of homeowners have accidental damage protection on their home insurance policy, which would protect the policy holder against common mishaps such as flooding from a burst pipe, or damage caused by putting a foot through a ceiling.
Recommended tradesmen - Why DIY might be better left to the professionals
Reliable and recommended builders, plumbers and electricians are all well and good, but when a homeowner attempts a DIY project themselves, there is always the chance that something could go wrong. After a survey of 1840, ProblemSolved reveals the top 5 DIY gaffes from homeowners.
Top 5 DIY Gaffes:
1) Hitting a hand or finger with a hammer – 32%
Brits spending over £7 billion a year on home help
According to new figures from Legal & General, Brits spend an estimated £7billion a year on help in the home such as cleaners, gardeners and the ‘odd job man’.
The research suggests that rather than a ‘Do It Yourself’, DIY culture, we’re now a nation of YDI, ‘You Do It’, by employing people to do household chores for us. 41% of Brits prefer to pay someone to do work around their home rather than doing it themselves, which is costing them close to £700 a year.
At a time when there has been widespread concern over the impact of the credit crunch, the amount we are prepared to spend on help in the home questions whether Brits would be prepared to give up this help as they feel the pinch.
DIYers spend £11.3 billion covering their mistakes
A study conducted by Yell.com has revealed that Britain is a nation of DIY disasters.
The study of 1,300 people showed that UK adults spend on average one year of their lives carrying home improvements with almost a third admitting to starting jobs that they aren’t equipped to tackle. According to the survey, of those DIYers who admitted to the blunders, they spend an average of £1,058 each on materials and service charges to rectify their mistakes, adding up to a huge total of £11.3 billion.
Instead of becoming part of this “elite” group, why not visit ProblemSolved? Our recommended and reviewed tradesmen will be happy to help prevent any further DIY disasters from happening in our accident prone little island.
Want a deal? Ask your local tradesman
Rising energy prices, mortgage premiums on the up and inflation creeping up to 2.5%. Homeowners are counting the pennies and rightly so. But for all the talk of cutting back, there has never been a better time to sit tight and invest in your home - assuming you know where to find the best deals.
And there are few people better placed than local builders - who know the merchants by name and get the mates rates that we don't - a fact not lost on Wickes - the leading supplier to the trade. Click here to view the latest VODcast from Wickes.
Not knowing how is costing Brits £26* billion a year!
It seems some of the simplest household tasks are costing Brits up to £26* billion a year according to a recent survey compiled by Yahoo! Answers. Conducted amongst 1,000 men and women in the UK, not being able to iron a shirt, unblock a sink or change a car tyre are a few of the main factors prompting Brits to hire in help. The actual figure was over half but more reassuringly, and perfect for a little shameless self promotion, 2/3 of these people would turn to the internet to learn more before trying their hand at something new.
So if you need a little advice on caring for leather, unblocking a sink, fixing a pipe, space saving solutions …………… (the list goes on), take a peek at our hints and tips section. There you will find easy to follow guides on all of the above and more to help you start a new DIY venture, and hopefully save you a few pounds along the way.
