Pandemic Procrastinator: Changing a doorknob, bleeding the radiator or building flat pack furniture are jobs the Welsh pay someone to help with
Changing a doorknob, bleeding the radiator, or building flat pack furniture are pretty simple tasks, but nearly three quarters of Welsh homeowners admit they’ve called in a professional to help with these jobs after they put off doing them themselves during lockdowns.
A recent survey of over 2,000 UK homeowners conducted by home and business solutions specialist BiGDUG, reveals which tasks most people put off as well as the tardiest cities across the UK.
The average Welsh household admitted to putting off over four home or garden-related tasks during lockdowns in the past year, with 40% even revealing they dragged their feet with up to six jobs. Gardening was the task most Welsh residents procrastinated over (42%) followed by cleaning the oven (38%) and painting (35%).
However, there are a whole mix of different jobs that proved to be a burden for some people, resulting in many calling in a professional to do it for them.
The top 10 jobs residents of Wales avoided throughout lockdown and paid a professional to do:
- Gardening (28%)
- Guttering (23%)
- Repairing fences (18%)
- Painting (15%)
- Cleaning the oven (15%)
- Changing the doorknob (10%)
- Bleed the radiator (17%)
- Build flat pack furniture (17%)
- Changing the showerhead (13%)
And, with the average call out from those who live in Wales costing £137, this can soon add up.
Looking across the UK, people in Edinburgh (77%), London (76%) and Birmingham (76%) were most likely to pay for a helping hand.
| THE TOP 10 TARDIEST CITIES IN THE UK THAT PAID A PROFESSIONAL TO DO THE HOUSEHOLD TASKS THEY PUT OFF DOING THEMSELVES DURING LOCKDOWNS | ||
| 1 | Edinburgh | 77% |
| =2 | London, Birmingham | 76% |
| 4 | Leeds | 75% |
| =5 | Manchester, Southampton | 74% |
| 7 | Leicester | 73% |
| =8 | Newcastle, Sheffield | 71% |
| 10 | Cardiff | 69% |
Those in Edinburgh are the least green fingered across the country, with over a third (36%) needing a gardener to help them with outdoor chores. Brummies are the least handy when it comes to building flat pack furniture, with 11% splurging on a professional to do it for them.
Men were more likely than women to pay a professional to do their dirty work for them, at 76% versus 71% respectively.
Among those who haven’t lifted a finger, over a third (36%) blame a lack of motivation, and 31% say they were so fed up with lockdown they “couldn’t be bothered” to do any fun activities, let alone household chores.
Other key reasons include being too lazy and procrastinating (26%), whilst one in five (21%) say they don’t have the confidence to do the jobs themselves. One in ten (11%) also ‘forgot’.
Polly Maclennan, Public Relations Manager at BiGDUG, said: “We’re all guilty of putting off household jobs no matter how big or small they are. Whether it’s because we want to spend the extra time relaxing or just simply can’t be bothered, it’s easy to have someone come in and help, and most important of all, do it correctly!
“If you’re planning work in your house or garden, whether it’s decluttering, changing a lightbulb or upcycling a piece of furniture, BiGDUG has a whole range of helpful storage solutions and work benches to aid your projects.”
For more information, visit: https://www.bigdug.co.uk