02.04.10

DEVOTED TO DIY THIS EASTER
- survey shows more Brits plan to sand walls than build sandcastles this Easter -


It seems DIY really has become an Easter institution alongside eating too much chocolate and big family lunches. Research carried out by B&Q, the UK’s largest home improvement and garden centre retailer, has found that more of us will be making a trip to a DIY or garden centre than taking a trip to the park or seaside this Easter.

In fact more of us would rather be sanding, stripping wallpaper and painting than seeing friends this bank holiday, proving just how popular DIY and gardening has become.

More than half of us consider Easter the perfect time to start DIY jobs with seven in 10 believing the long bank holiday weekend is the best time to freshen up the home and garden. Further research carried out by the retailer last year found that the improve don’t move trend is very real with more than half of Brits choosing to completely forget about moving with the aim to make the most of their current property instead.

The average person is planning to spend 15 hours this Easter doing a mixture of DIY, gardening and decorating jobs around the home with 33 per cent of Brits planning to garden; the third most popular activity after relaxing and visiting friends. It appears we will be more likely to be sowing spring onions than spring blooms as further research shows that 79 per cent of all seeds sold at B&Q so far this year are now for vegetables – the highest ratio it has ever been. By the end of 2009 70 per cent of all seeds were veg, while a decade ago 70 per cent sold were for ornamental flowers.

But is won’t just be planting and weeding that will get Brits into the garden. Investment in substantial gardening products such as greenhouses (sales up +52.8 per cent YTD) and sales of sheds for storing garden tools and equipment are also on the rise (+42.7 per cent YTD) and are amongst projects predicted to be keeping us busy in the garden this Easter.

A B&Q spokesperson said; “The Grow Your Own trend we identified last year is continuing to develop and it seems that after a year of giving growing a go, people have got more confident and are now real GYO enthusiasts. Easter is the perfect time to get your garden ready for planting fruit and vegetables so it comes as no surprise that gardening tops the list of DIY plans this bank holiday weekend”.

Top five Easter activities are:
1. Relaxing – 36 per cent
2. Visiting family – 34 per cent
3. Gardening – 33 per cent
4. Starting DIY jobs – 24 per cent
5. Day trips to the beach or park – 24 per cent

The most popular jobs for women this Easter are:
• Cleaning - 72 per cent
• Tidying - 70 per cent
• Painting - 41 per cent
• Ripping off wallpaper - 38 per cent
• Design – 38 per cent
And for men:
• Fitting shelves – 65 per cent
• Building furniture – 55 per cent
• Changing light bulbs – 52 per cent
• Electrics – 50 per cent
• Sanding – 50 per cent

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