Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Category:
Home Improvements
As the bank holiday weekend approaches many of us will be using the extra days off work to do a bit of DIY around our homes.
Interesting new research from Halifax Home Insurance reveals that females have shifted the power balance of DIY in their homes. These new termed ‘Handy Mandys’ are comprised of 5.3 million women who believe that they are the best DIYer in the home. Additionally, 2.5 million women who live with a boyfriend or husband take charge of the DIY in their home.
However, men are less ready to accept the new shift in DIY power. 7% of British men who live with girlfriends or wives admit that the women in their lives are more skilled than them with screwdrivers, wrenches and power tools. Only 4% of British men will admit that their female partners do the DIY.
Although the rise in female DIYers is a good thing, female tradespeople still have a long way to go to win the confidence of the British public. An overwhelming two thirds (67%) of British women surveyed said that they would feel more comfortable letting a male tradesperson into their home, rather than a female tradesperson.
Vicky Emmott, senior underwriter at Halifax home insurance, said: “The likes of Linda Barker and Carol Smilie have done a great job inspiring Handy Mandys across the country to get their hands dirty and get involved with DIY. However, this trend is not reflected in support for female tradeswomen. It appears Britons’ still stick with traditional perceptions when it comes to trades people as the vast majority would still prefer to let a man do all the hard work.”
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Handy Mandys and Andys who are thinking of doing some DIY this bank holiday, could consider taking out a
secured home owner loan to enable them to create their dream property. A new extension could provide the extra space needed to add a bigger kitchen or dining room, and this could be paid for with a secured homeowner loan. Smaller projects such as refitting an existing kitchen or bathroom and redecorating can also be covered with a loan. Repayments on a secured home owner loan can usually be made over a term of 5 to 25 years and home improvers might even find that they add value to their properties with the right home improvements.
