A report in today's paper suggested that people blow an average £220 a year on handymen to carry out simple DIY tasks .....

It doesn't really surprise me Snoopy, I get the impression that people's basic DIY skills have deteriorated over the last 10-20 years.

I think we might see a shift away from paying for a handyman going forward though, as we start feeling the squeeze of all the cuts etc.

I know I'd have a go at fixing the problems you've mentioned above, albeit with the help of my good friend Google!

Yip Pete is correct with credit crunch people will have to learn not a case of might but "have" to.

In yesteryear - pre 60's everybody did their own DIY so why is it now so bad - are we a lazy nation?
Are we a spoonfed nation?
Or are we just so well off we can afford to buy someone in.

Had yet another disaster at the very end of last month my shower went phutt - bloomin heatign element gone but it lasted 5 years so not so bad - I can heartily recommend Creda showers - Creda 8500DL & 9500DL in particular - all under £80 and very good value for money - I would never have another Triton - overcomplicated and very prone to overheating and electrical faults.

It wasnt a good month last month for me apart from two trees falling on my garage, shower going phutt and numerous other disasters its just well and good im a DIY expert must have saved at least £1000 last month.

I just fitted my new Creda shower yesterday saved me £100+ in plumbers callout.

Yes I agree the charges some of these so called experts charge is horrendous and worse still are the ones who charge more when they encounter a pensioner! Disgraceful I say!
Ripping off the elderly seems to be a common thing these days! Not nice at all!

Any £220 I might ever have is staying put! If something breaks I will fix it, if it looks complicated (like the inner workings of some appliance) then the answer will undoubtedly be somewhere in the google dungeons. Only exception is when the broadband or phone or electric goes off .... highly frustrating because there's nothing I can do about it, have to sit and wait for the idiot robots on the phone to send someone .... ok it doesn't cost me money but it certainly depletes my patience.

Thought I might add these for snoopy.

Good sites if you want to fix it yourself.
Save you googling it.

http://www.fixya.com/support/r4784376-front_load_washing_machine_not_draining

http://diydata.com/plumbing/index.php

http://www.howtomendit.com/questions.php?id=111

Hi Snoopy

What basic jobs to spend money on! I am not into DIY at all, but I think that if I was on my own I would have a good at trying all of these things and a few more besides. Fortunately my O/H is very handy (no pun intended) with his tools, and he has quite a collection. He will turn his hand to our cars, kitchen appliances, electrics, he built me a raised veggie bed last year, and used to work as a picture framer - so I'm covered.

And if he was around, then a heavy shoe works wonders on picture nails!

I'm lucky because my husband can do most DIY tasks and car servicing etc. He likes the challenge of building/repairing and like me was bought up to look after and repair anything you own. It saves us loads of money. But that knowledge seems to have disappeared amongst many of the younger generation who have no experience in making or mending. I know how to make furnishings and curtains and how to repair and alter clothes and that too saves a lot of money.