Brits becoming less and less handy around the house: survey

As the UK gets ready to throw a nationwide party to fete the queen's 60 years on the throne this weekend, market research group Mintel has taken a look at how consumer trends have shifted over the years, including the world of DIY.

In 1972, when Mintel released its first consumer report, nearly three-quarters of all Brits had carried out some kind of odd DIY job around the house. Today, that figure has dropped to as few as 37 percent.

Back then, wallpapering was a popular form of home décor with 44 percent of Brits saying they had covered their walls, compared to half that figure today, the report says.

Now, more Brits are opting to decorate their walls the easier way, as 76 percent said they had picked up a brush in the past 12 months, compared to 61 percent in 1972.

"The trend away from the nation's willingness to take up DIY highlights a generation less able to take on jobs around the home, with more dual-working households and a greater availability of tradesmen and a general demand for higher standards of workmanship," said senior analyst Alexandra Richmond in a statement.

"There has been a real decline in practical skills in the last 40 years with home-owners of 2012 paying someone else to do the jobs that they don't have the confidence to do..."