You can save over £1,000 during the coronavirus lockdown by doing eight simple DIY jobs around the house, according to new findings.
Some of these easy jobs can also help occupy the children, and bring the family together for an activity that can save on costs from bringing in tradespeople.
Research from tradesperson comparison site HaMuch.com calculated the predicted costs homeowners would save if they chose to do home improvement tasks themselves.
The DIY job that will save you the most is painting, which can lead to savings of up to a couple of hundred pounds (depending on the size of your rooms) you’d otherwise pay a tradesperson to do. According to HaMuch.com, you would save £24 an hour at an average of eight hours per room.
Painting the house together as a family could also brighten up and refresh your home. You only need to pay for some paint and brushes, which can be delivered by build merchants. Screwfix and Toolstation are among the builders merchants still operational in some capacity.
(MORE: 8 Tips for Decorating Your Own House)
The second-biggest saving to be made is through tidying the garden. Hiring a gardener for six hours can cost as much as £174, so doing it yourself is well worth the effort. This goes without saying, but you’ll also get some fresh air and some time outside the house.
Put Lockdown Time to Use
Lockdown represents a perfect opportunity to perform DIY jobs, helping to keep us busy and improve our homes. Many of us now have more time on our hands, and DIY is a great way to make this time well spent.
That’s why Homebuilding & Renovating has launched Home School, a service providing expert homebuilding tips to help you put this time to good use. Home School will deliver the best information, ideas and advice to anyone looking to create their dream home.
We will also be keeping you abreast of the latest developments within homebuilding and the construction industry with our live blog, Building as Usual.
Ultimately, homeowners who treat this time as an opportunity will be able to make the best of it. Founder and CEO of HaMuch.com, Tarquin Purdie, said: “The silver lining for many homeowners is they now have plenty of time on their hands to tackle a whole host of jobs around the house and save money while doing so.
“This is particularly beneficial for those of us that can’t work and can give a real sense of achievement as well as some mental stimulation. Of course, we don’t advise that you attempt any jobs that need professional work such as electrics or gas, amongst other things.”
This table from HaMuch.com lists the savings that can be made though DIY jobs:
| DIY job |
Potential savings |
| Fix squeaky hinges |
£30 an hour for the average handyman |
| Silence creaky floors |
£30 an hour at an average of 3 hours |
| Refresh or even add some colour to your rooms |
£24 an hour at an average of 8 hours per room |
| Give your old furniture new life |
£27 an hour for the average carpenter |
| Redecorate a room with wallpaper |
Strip wallpaper = £200 per room Wallpapering = £400 per room |
| Deep clean your bathroom |
£19 an hour for a cleaner at an average of 3 hours to clean a house |
| Tiling |
Average cost of £50 per sq metre with half the average bathroom at 2 square metres |
| Tidy your garden |
Gardener at an average of £29 per hour for six hours work |
| Total Saving |
£1,341 |