BROADCAST DAY: RATED PEOPLE – THE COST OF DIY

4media group were commissioned to conduct a broadcast day for tradesperson recommendation service, Rated People. The broadcast day looked at DIY, how much people are spending on it and the consequences of doing it wrong. To tell us more about the importance of setting out budgets when undertaking DIY/home improvement, and how we can possibly improve our DIY skills, is presenter from renowned DIY TV show ‘Ground Force’, Tommy Walsh and Celia Francis from Rated People. 

Tommy Walsh first became a builder before appearing on Ground Force. His building knowledge and skills have since led him to present ‘Fix it Yourself’ and ‘Fix Your House for Free’. Author of the book ‘DIY Survival’, Tommy has also made it onto the UK’s bestsellers list and has subsequently published four more books on DIY.

The surge in DIY shows on TV has inspired us Brits to carry out our very own home-improvement tasks and to spruce up our homes. In fact, 10 million of us carried out a DIY/home-improvement task last year – but many of us become faced with financial struggles through a lack of budgeting. 

New research, conducted by our in-house research division, Atomik Research, out today reveals that two-thirds (65%) of us have overspent on a DIY/Home-Improvement project. The average DIY-er overspends by an average of £307, equating to a huge £3bn in overspent home-improvement projects. Furthermore, the overspend has been too much for some, as a quarter (25%) have asked to borrow money from friends and a fifth (18%) have resorted to borrowing money from a loan company to cover the excess cost.  

The research, by Rated People, has found that two thirds (68%) of us do not set any kind of budget for projects that are likely to cost more than £100. With costs then rising above expectations, 31% of us have had to put a home improvement project on hold, with just under half (46%) admitting this is mainly due to materials being more expensive than expected. Almost a fifth (18%) have put a complete stop to a project due to money completely running out. 

It seems that when we do try and set a budget, we still get carried away – only a fifth (21%) remain within budget. 10% of us completely blow the budget out of the park, and our savings are most hit with the additional costs. Two thirds of us (66%) are even dipping into our rainy day fund to complete the project. While a quarter of those surveyed turn to mates for help, almost a fifth resort to borrowing from loan companies. 

What’s more, 73% of Brits have rated their home improvement skills as basic, being only able to carry out minor repairs and painting and decorating a room. 

The campaign achieved widespread broadcast coverage, with highlights included  TalkSport, BC Radio Lincolnshire, BBC Somerset, BBC Jersey, BBC Tees, BBC Radio Nottinghamshire , BBC Radio Lancashire, BBC Radio Norfolk, BBC Hereford and Worcester, BBC Manchester, BBC Cambridge, BBC Leeds and more.