A new survey has revealed that more than half of adults in the South West of England avoid DIY - with more than a third not even owning a screwdriver. 

The survey, carried out by waste removal experts HIPPO, 54 per cent of adults in the South West avoid DIY due to their lack of skills, with 53 per cent saying that they don’t have the confidence. 

Many of these residents also have a lack of tools in their homes, with 44 per cent not owning a screwdriver, 43 per cent not owning a tape measure, and 41 per cent not owning a hammer. 

However, people would ideally like to be able to do DIY, with 58 per cent of adults in the South West saying they would like to use weekends for home improvement jobs and 20 per cent saying they would use bank holidays for DIY tasks. 

Across the UK, almost a third of Brits - 31 per cent - said that they wouldn’t know where to start with home and garden improvements, and nine per cent not owning any tools at all. 

HIPPO has partnered with TV presenter and DIY enthusiast Dom Wood to help people feel less overwhelmed when it comes to home and garden improvement jobs. 

Dom commented: “I’m a true believer that DIY should be accessible to everyone – it’s all about having a go and learning how to approach tasks that may have seemed overwhelming at first. 

“For some, that might mean mastering a quick and easy way to hang a picture in your living room, while for others it could be learning how to clear a blocked drain or upcycling a piece of garden furniture.

“While of course there are certain jobs that are best suited to professionals from a safety perspective, with the right tools, some confidence and a have-a-go attitude, anything is possible.”

Gareth Lloyd-Jones, managing director of HIPPO, added: “Working with Dom has helped us to uncover some simple and accessible DIY tips and tricks for the DIY jobs people sometimes feel too overwhelmed or inexperienced to attempt. 

“Our aim is to help people across the UK access their inner DIY hero, update their toolkit and tackle some of the home and garden improvement jobs they’ve always wanted to try. 

“We want to help people across the UK feel confident and excited when attempting their next DIY project, with our handy HIPPOBAGs which ensure that over 95 per cent of all waste collected is recycled, we’re ready and waiting to dispose of waste quickly, easily and ethically once a DIY job is done and dusted.”