Britons' love affair with DIY is waning, research suggests.

While Bank Holidays were traditionally a time when people looked to get on with home improvements, a study indicates that people would rather employ someone else to do the work.

Analysts found that two million of us have abandoned DIY over the past two years.

The slump in interest has been partly caused by declining skills among young people and the rise in popularity of ready-to-assemble flat-pack furniture.

However, it is not just the younger generation who are turning their backs on domestic manual chores. The report, by market analysts Mintel, found that the number of people aged from 45 to 54 who occupy their time with DIY has halved in two years from 30 per cent to just 15 per cent.

The study found that people increasingly prefer to spend the money on travel and relaxation rather than slaving away at tasks around the house.

Neil Mason, a Mintel spokesman, said: "DIY retailers have been losing share of all retail sales because of the ageing population being less inclined to do DIY, the growth of a do-it-for-me market, and a change in attitudes to the home.

"There has been a perceptible shift in consumer priorities away from the home and towards leisure – particularly holidays and fashion."


一项调查显示，英国人对自己动手搞家装的兴趣正在逐渐减退。

过去，英国人喜欢趁着公共假日自己动手搞搞家装，但一项调查显示，如今人们更倾向于雇人来干这种活。

分析人士发现，在过去两年中，两百万的英国人不再自己动手搞家装。

对DIY兴趣的减退一部分是因为年轻人的动手能力下降，另一方面是因为组装家具的流行。

然而，不光是年轻人不爱干这些活。敏特市场分析机构的调查报告显示，年龄在45岁到54岁之间自己动手搞家装的人在两年之内减少了一半，比例从30%降至15%。

调查发现，如今人们越来越喜欢花钱去旅游和休闲，而不是待在家里做家务。

敏特公司的发言人尼尔•梅森说：“DIY行业的零售商们正逐渐失去市场，因为年龄大的人越来越不愿意自己动手，‘为我做’市场正在兴起，人们对家的态度也发生了变化。

“消费者的消费倾向发生了显著转变，已从过去的家居转向休闲——尤其是度假和时尚。”