Welcome to the Blogs

Are you a fan of refurbishment or an interiors enthusiast? If so, you are in luck as we are giving away 50 double passes to The National Home Improvement Show. Entries are on a first come first serve basis so follow the link below now for a chance to win entrance for you and a friend to the event being held at Earls Court from 1 – 3 October 2010.

A recent study has shown that half of young people do not have the basic DIY skills needed to maintain their homes. This lack of home maintenance skills has led to a ‘Dad’ll Do It’ generation who are unable to wire a plug.

Research undertaken by Halifax Home Insurance has found that, amongst under 35s:

- 50% can’t wire a plug.
- 54% can’t bleed a radiator.
- 63% wouldn’t attempt to put up wallpaper.
- 65% admit that their dads are better at DIY than they are.

Senior claims manager for Halifax insurance, Martyn Foulds says:

DIY is a popular weekend activity, especially when people are looking to save money or think they can’t find a reliable tradesman. DIY can be great when all goes according to plan, but watch out: DIY disasters can strain the peace between couples.

Many people take on more than they can manage when planning DIY, which leads to big messes that can strain a relationship more than couples anticipate.

The latest trend in home design is neutral colours paired with splashes of bright, bold colours according to David Shepherd, brand manager at Dulux. Speaking at The Gadget Show Live 2010, Shepard said that the addition of some bright accents to bright, neutral colours adds personality.

Home Insurance expert Swinton has shown that safety warnings for DIY’ers are justified. Over Easter weekend, there was a spike in DIY accidents which led to a further increase in home insurance claims, Swinton reports. They say that this rise is down to people trying to fit too much into just a few days.

A 42-year-old Auckland builder died working under his Avondale home on Monday morning. Investigators say they are still trying to piece together what happened.

The dead man had gone under his house to investigate electrical problems, and Labour Department investigators have been called in by police to see if there were any problems with the wiring at the house, and to help determine what led to the man's death.

One of Europe's biggest DIY retailers, B&Q, has become a corporate member of the Rainy Day Trust. The Rainy Day Trust is a charity that aids people who have worked in the hardware, housewares and DIY trade and industry, and who now need a helping hand.

Decorating Centre Dulux has started a campaign to regenerate neighbourhoods with a splash of colour. Through the Let’s Colour Project, Dulux is working in local communities with volunteers and experts in design in to re-paint spaces that need some colour so that they reach their full potential.

If you're doing a spot of DIY and decide to hire some tools for the job, be careful. A study by Which? showed that many hire companies have faulty tools which could be dangerous to the consumer.

The consumers advocacy company hired 26 tools form various hire firms, which included high street names and large DIY chains. The tools were independently tested for electrical and mechanical defects according to British standards and all companies except HSS failed for one or more reasons.

According to B&Q, sales of vegetable seeds have jumped 30 percent in the past few weeks compared to this same time last year. Sales of greenhouses, potting sheds, and garden tools have also jumped, all thanks to a new crop of dedicated gardeners.

What happens when DIY makeovers are taken out the home and into the street? In this case, fun and cosy public spaces.

A bus stop in Bristol was transformed by a team from Homebase into a lush and welcoming rest area.

A train station in Carlisle has been given an exciting new DIY makeover in preparation for the filming of a new television advert.  The station's bridge has received a stripy-coloured makeover, while one of the platforms has been transformed with turquoise paint, purple wallpaper and lampshades hanging from the ceiling.

Travis Perkins, the owner of DIY superstore Wickes, has revealed that it has seen an 11% drop in profits.

The builders' merchant had been hit by the slowdown in the housing market, with profits for 2009 down to £180m from £202.5m in 2008. The company has warned that trading conditions are still fragile and they are said to be "the most difficult in the group's history".

Recent articles:

It’s normally a tradition for a local celebrity to turn on a town’s Christmas lights, but this year Portishead has chosen to go against the grain to pick a local DIY store worker.

More good news for the DIY industry as figures released by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) have shown that the industry has seen a 2% uplift in shop prices compared to September last year.

A poll by DIY retailer B&Q has revealed that most over 50's are a lot more skilled than their children in matters of home improvements and repairs.

The survey of 2,500 people asked what range of simple DIY jobs they could perform and if they ever asked for help from a relative.

According to B&Q owner Kingfisher, there's been an increase of more than a third in it's half-year profits, signalling a "renewed consumer interest" in DIY.

The DIY giants saw sales up by 7% to £5.1 billion and a pre-tax profit of £288 million in the six months up to 1 August of this year.

Click here to see all the latest deals and discounts from B&Q.

A recent survey by FindaProperty.com found that 20% of Britons planned to do some home improvement over the bank holiday weekend.

A 30 second commercial during tonight's The Home Show on Channel 4, will see duo Wallace and Gromit promote energy-efficient home improvements.

It will be the second nPower advert to feature the plasticine pretenders with the company's marketing director Keith Peake saying "We're hoping [Wallace & Gromit's] positive approach to energy efficiency will help people see how simple it is to make small changes and a big a difference to their energy bills."

Lucky staff at B&Q could share £12million under a new bonus scheme that is designed to boost profits for the DIY firm.

The 33,000 workers could pocket over £600 a year if their store meets targets set by management.

B&Q boss Euan Sutherland said: "We want to grow the business. We've got a plan but the workforce has a huge part to play.

"We hope this will mean they are really motivated to do everything in their power to help us succeed."

Big Brother winner and TV’s favourite builder Craig Phillips will teach ladies in London how to maintain and decorate their own houses in less than a weekend in July. Craig will be at Richmond College on 11-12th July and 18th-19th July.

Natasha Suliman, a B&Q worker from Llanelli, has reached the finals of Miss Wales after shedding 6 stone.

A report released today by the Energy Saving Trust says that UK households could save £220 million a year and 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by making DIY improvements to their homes.

The research also found that 53 per cent of the UK population are classified as "DIY shy" and are not confident enough to complete basic home improvement jobs.

Two-thirds of Britons have carried out DIY during the past year in a bid to save money, a survey has shown.

Painting was the most common task people undertook themselves rather than paying a professional to do it, with 51% redecorating their home, according to Sainsbury's Home Insurance.

Around 38% of people tackled minor electrical jobs, 21% turned their hand to plumbing and 15% tried tiling.

The latest figures from the BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor show stronger sales in March - mainly thanks to the weather.

The Easter weekend is traditionally known as an important time for DIY stores, and this year is no different.

Britons are collectively planning to spend £4.5 billion on home improvements over Easter, with many hoping to add value to their property, a survey has showed.

The average person will spend £181 on DIY projects during the Bank Holiday weekend, rising to more than £200 among people in London, according to research by The Co-operative Bank.

After the last party popper was popped on New Year's Eve, what resolutions have you pledged for 2009? According to the good people at propertyfinder.com, many of us are looking to make home improvements at the beginning of this year.

Here is their list of the top ten DIY resolutions:

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.

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

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..

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!