‘Brits are scared of DIY driller thrillers’

With Halloween days away, Worcester Bosch has revealed which DIY jobs give Brits the creeps. Almost half (45 per cent) of the 1,000 homeowners surveyed said they either do not look forward to completing tasks around the home or never complete DIY jobs.

Two-thirds (69 per cent) said that they feel nervous before completing a task for the first time, and women were more nervous of first-time tasks (76 per cent) than men (62 per cent). Those aged 16 to 24 were likely to be the most fearful when taking on a new task, whereas 25-34-year-olds are marginally the most confident age group.

The tasks that strike the most fear in the hearts of Brits are:
• Using a drill to install fixtures or fittings (43 per cent are scared to do this although 63 per cent know how to)
• Topping up boiler pressure (40 per cent scared to do, yet 50 per cent know how to)
• Bleeding radiators (27 per cent scared to do, yet 69 per cent know how to)

Building flat pack furniture (26 per cent) and painting walls and ceilings (21 per cent) came next on the scary list, while replacing light bulbs, garden maintenance and stripping were all deemed the least frightening.

More than one-third (38 per cent) of those surveyed have done more DIY during COVID-19. But as we move into chillier months, many will put off DIY, with more than half (54 per cent) saying they avoid household tasks in autumn and winter.

However, some of these tasks are far simpler than we think. Martyn Bridges, director of Technical Communication and Product Management at Worcester Bosch, says one thing we shouldn’t fear is topping up boiler pressure. “Boiler pressure is usually indicated on a dial by the boiler, with the optimum pressure usually between 1 and 1.5 when the system is cool,” he says. “If your boiler has lost pressure, this is something you can quickly resolve yourself.  You can check your boiler user manual or watch Worcester Bosch’s video on re-pressurising your heating system.”