Women trust themselves more than their partners with DIY projects

A new survey reveals that women have more confidence in their own DIY capabilities than that of their partners. 

In fact, a third of women surveyed said their partners would “mess up” a DIY project.

This skepticism also applies to decor choices, with over half (54%) saying they wouldn’t trust their partner to pick out soft furnishings or wall colours for their home. 

Nearly half said they wouldn’t trust their partner to lay a floor either. Still, despite a surge in self-confidence for carrying out other DIY tasks, only a quarter of women said they’d be happy to tackle laying a floor themselves, indicating that it could be a job best left to the professionals. 

“DIY projects have become increasingly popular over the past few years as skills were honed throughout lockdown, and the cost of the living crisis has made more homeowners rely on their own efforts to get things done. It’s encouraging to see this surge of confidence in homeowners’ own abilities,” said Paul Hambidge, Managing Director of Factory Direct Flooring, who commissioned the research. “However, we were surprised to see laying flooring was something that still intimidates people. Whether it’s a down to lack of confidence about taking measurements, or cutting around radiator pipes and other obstacles, we’ve put together 20 jargon-free installation guides to empower homeowners to DIY their floors.”

The top 5 DIY tasks that women said they wouldn’t trust their partner with are:

1. Installation of kitchen/bathroom – 67%
2. Laying a floor – 48%
3. Painting and decorating – 37%
4. General ‘handyman’ jobs i.e. hanging frames, putting up a shelf, fixing a blind or curtain rail – 28%
5. Furniture assembly – 27%