46 per cent of Brits are turning to social media for DIY help

The era of parent DIY SOS, when 20, 30 and even 40-somethings traditionally turned to parents for DIY help, are over, according to a new study. A survey of 1,500 adults by home improvement retailer Wickes reveals over a half (54 per cent) of Brits say their parents can’t do DIY themselves, they’re not confident in parental advice and wouldn’t do a good job - even costing them more money in the long run.

As a result of parents’ lack of knowledge, almost half of Brits (46 per cent) are turning to social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube or Instagram when taking on a DIY project instead of asking for help from a professional tradesmen or family member. Overall, more than two in five (44 per cent) believe that older family members are less likely to teach their children how to do DIY today than previous generations were.

Another deciding factor on turning to social media for DIY tutorials were around the cost of living, with over a third (37 per cent) citing their monthly payments, such as rent or mortgage payments, makes them unable to afford professional help. On average, according tot he study, each time those surveyed successfully undertook DIY themselves instead of hiring a professional, they saved a whopping £344.

The top 10 most searched for DIY tasks on social media were: painting a room (65 per cent), putting up shelves (55 per cent), replacing a toilet seat (54 per cent), replacing handles (51 per cent), how to wallpaper a room (48 per cent), changing light fittings (39 per cent), laying floor (30 per cent), creating extra storage (29 per cent), replacing taps or sanding floors (28 per cent) and replacing kitchen units (23 per cent).