Plumbing tops poll of most admired skills, but ‘digital DIY’ is caching up
If you can fix a leak or install a washing machine the chances are you’re a hero to your friends and family.
According to the nationwide poll1, plumbing is the household skill adults most admire. Women and over-55s have particularly favourable perceptions of those who have skills in this area. Researchers asked study participants to rank a range of common household skills, from putting up shelves and changing locks to restoring a lost Internet connection and backing up data, as part of their nationwide skills study2.
Plumbing skills fared well in the study overall. Installing a washing machine was ranked as the fourth most admired skill, behind assembling flat-pack furniture and putting up a shelf. Although the most admired skills were quite traditional, ‘digital DIY’ skills also draw admiration, according to the research.
Fixing a faulty Internet connection, programming a smart TV and identifying online bargains all placed in the top ten of the most admired skills.
Nick Bizley, Aspect’s director of operations, says: “These findings show that although people still really value traditional DIY talents, the concept of ‘handiness’ is evolving to include skills that didn’t even exist ten years ago. For example, changing a lightbulb was something most people could do quite easily, but the advent of the ‘smart home’ has introduced new complexities to what used to be a simple task.”
Bizley believes skills that come in handy during an emergency tend to be viewed most positively when compared to other, non-urgent skills.
“We know from firsthand experience how relieved people are to see a qualified and experienced tradesperson at their door, especially during an emergency situation such as a leak. The same sentiment seems to apply when asking people about the skills they admire around the house. It’s easy to be impressed by a skilled handyman who can put together flat-pack furniture or put up a shelf, but when it comes to emergency tasks, the stakes are that little bit higher.
“While we’d always advise people to call on a professional when they have an emergency problem at home, it’s handy to know some basics, such as how to shut off a water supply via the mains to stem a water leak. This can often be the difference between a maintenance problem and a maintenance emergency.”
ENDS
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For more information, please contact Sean O’Meara - sean.omeara@essentialcontent.co.uk
OnePoll surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults on behalf of Aspect, between 25/06/2019 and 28/06/2019. OnePoll are members of the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research and employ members of the Marketing Research Society.
About Aspect: https://www.aspect.co.uk/accreditations3/ Aspect was founded over a decade ago and now has well over a hundred tradesmen. The company helps thousands of Londoners every month with a variety of home maintenance problems.
Sean O'Meara
Essential Content
+44 161 710 3286
email us here
1 https://www.aspect.co.uk/trades/plumbing-and-cold-water/household-skills-study/
2 https://www.aspect.co.uk/trades/handyman-odd-jobs/diy-skills-study-2019/
3 https://www.aspect.co.uk/accreditations