Less need for a man about the house

ALMOST three quarters of British women believe they are as good at DIY as men, a survey revealed, with 73 per cent saying they were just as competent at basic tasks as men.

As female home ownership grows, the B&Q poll revealed half of all women spend between one and five hours a week doing DIY.

One in five households are now owned by single women and a fifth of all women spend between six and 10 hours a week on DIY.

Nearly four in 10 said they did DIY as they have just bought a property, with the same number saying it was the only way to get things done.

Two thirds of women would rather try to carry out basic DIY tasks themselves first, before asking anyone to help them.

But they are more comfortable painting (82 per cent), changing light bulbs (79 per cent) or ripping wallpaper (77 per cent) than building furniture (47 per cent) or changing a fuse (46 per cent).

Katherine Paterson, marketing director of B&Q, said: “Our findings show that DIY is no longer just a man’s game.

“More women are recognising that with the right skills anyone can try their hand at tiling, putting up a shelf or taking on a bigger refurbishment project.”

The survey of 2,000 British women showed that of the 60 per cent who are currently in a relationship, over a third said they do more DIY around the house than their partner.

A third of women polled believe they are better at DIY than their partner.