Dad'll fix it: study shows young people lack skills

More than half of young people lack the skills they need to maintain their homes, with many relying on their parents to carry out basic tasks.

About 50 per cent of people under 35 admitted they did not know how to rewire a plug, while 54 per cent did not know how to bleed a radiator and 63 per cent said they would not even try to put up wallpaper

According to the report, commissioned by Halifax Home Insurance, other basic jobs, such as putting up shelves, were beyond 45 per cent of those questioned, while 36 per cent said they would not even attempt to do gardening themselves. Instead 42 per cent would pay a professional to do the work.

The average cost of putting right a botched DIY job carried out by someone under 35 is 2,498, compared with about 838 for those aged over 45.

Martyn Foulds, senior claims manager for Halifax Home Insurance, said: "This survey strongly suggests that younger people feel they don't have the experience or knowledge necessary to tackle even the most basic of home maintenance and DIY tasks.

"This indicates a significant number of younger householders could be storing up problems for the future, as the lack of home maintenance starts to take its toll on their homes."