Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Category:
Home Improvements
According to news from Direct Line, trips to DIY stores and garden centres are seen to be as much a part of the Easter bank holiday weekend as traffic jams and chocolate eggs.
It was reported that nine million Britons were set to visit DIY centres over the bank holiday weekend and would spend more than £370 million in the process. Research from Direct Line HR24 (Home Response 24) showed that 21 per cent of us had planned to visit a DIY store or garden centre over the Easter weekend and that eight per cent planned to spend more than £100 on tools, paint and other equipment.
However, the research found that money spent may be wasted as a quarter of Britons have bought DIY equipment and not ever used it, 12 per cent of those surveyed admitted that equipment worth over £100 is sitting gathering dust. The most commonly unused item is said to be paint. 46 per cent of people had purchased this and not used it. 36 per cent of respondents said that they had let screws go to waste while 17 per cent admitted that they had let wallpaper and paste go to waste. 16 per cent said that they had allowed power tools to be left unused.
Reasons given for not using DIY equipment included being too busy to do the job that tools were bought for, with more than 11 per cent blaming it on the weather being unsuitable. Twenty-nine per cent of men admit that they had got carried away in the store, buying things that they didn’t need.
Andrew Lowe, Head of Direct Line Home Response 24 said: “The Easter pilgrimage to a DIY centre has become a tradition for many people, whether they ever actually get round to doing the DIY or not. But we would recommend people consider taking it easy this Easter and look to hire a professional to take care of any home repairs that need doing. Not only will they make the most of their bank holiday, they will also avoid running the risk of harming themselves or damaging their properties.”
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Homeowners needing to carry out larger scale DIY or home improvement projects, could consider funding them with a secured loan. One of many options to pay for home improvements, a secured loan could also be used to get someone in to do jobs for those who are time precious. Larger scale jobs that may be financed with a secured loan include extensions and loft conversions. Other space adding projects that may be funded with a secured loan are conservatories and garage conversions. Once the building work associated with bigger jobs is completed, homeowners could also consider using funds from their secured loan to complete the finishing touches such as fitting the kitchen and bathrooms, and final decorating. Secured loans can be repaid over a term to suit the borrower, usually from 5 to 25 years.
