6 November 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
We do more DIY than men.
A new survey from Checkatrade.com
SUMMARY
Published: bromsgroveadvertiser.co.uk droitwichadvertiser.co.uk dudleynews.co.uk halesowennews.co.uk kidderminstershuttle.co.uk redditchadvertiser.co.uk stourbridgenews.co.uk
PRESS RELEASE
WOMEN have long suspected that men do very little “doing” when it comes to do-it-yourself jobs around the home.
A new survey from Checkatrade.com - a website monitoring the reputation of tradespeople - highlights a peculiar anomaly - women claim they actually do much more DIY than men say they do.
The research, conducted among 2,000 homeowners, found that the biggest gap in perception between the sexes was in the East Midlands. There, just five per cent of men say that the woman of the house does the DIY, while 22% of the women themselves claim to do the lion’s share - four times more.
According to the findings, men claim the fairer sex is less handy around the house than the women say they are - and that is in every single region of the UK.
Nationally, as an average, just 14% of men admit that the woman of the house does the majority of the DIY. When women are asked who do the most DIY, they believe it is more like 28% - twice as many.
The most harmonious sharing of DIY tasks is found in Northern Ireland, where 17% of men believe women to be the main contributors, compared with 19% of women.
The research also highlighted a startling disagreement between men and women regarding who makes the decisions on booking a tradesman. Just a quarter of men (25%) say it is the woman who decides on the builder, plumber or sparky, while half of women (47%) say, the truth is it is actually down to them.
Commenting on the findings, Alan Redman, director of Criterion Partnership and a chartered occupational psychologist, said: "DIY prowess can be an important aspect of self-identity for men.
“This can lead them to unconsciously over-estimate their level of skill and underestimate the DIY contributions of others, such as their wives and partners. This is a psychological effect developed to protect the sense of self from threatening thoughts, such as 'my wife is just as good with a power drill than me’.
Kevin Byrne, founder of Checkatrade.com, said: “Going on our own experience, I’d have to say I believe the women.
“We find when we talk to our trade Checkatrade members they state that the initial call to them is almost always from a woman - they are savvy and very careful about how they choose tradespeople.
“And often it’s a case of women resorting to picking up the power drill because they just want the job done without fuss - they’re fed up of waiting for their other halves to fix things.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
Checkatrade helps combat the UK's rogue trader problem by continuously vetting and monitoring local traders such as builders, plumbers and electricians. The idea was born in 1998 after a tornado hit the small West Sussex town of Selsey. Traders poured in from as far away as Liverpool and Manchester. Unfortunately, some ripped off the inhabitants of the town. Local businessman, Kevin Byrne, realised there was nowhere to check out the traders’ credentials and the company that became Checkatrade was formed.
Since then, Checkatrade has grown to include over 6,300 genuine trade members, growing by an average 120 new members every month, and, via the Royal Mail, distributes 5.9 million directories a year into communities throughout Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Dorset and Berkshire, while the website includes traders from across the UK.
CONTACT INFORMATION
PR / Marketing, Checkatrade
5 - 6 Sherrington Mews, Ellis Square, Selsey, West Sussex, PO20 0FJ
Tel: 01243 601234
Fax: 01243 601246
info@checkatrade.com
