DIY is in decline because today's men are too soft

[BlueStateSaint]

As a disclaimer, I myself am "mechanically declined."  That doesn't stop me from trying, as several scars can attest to.

DIY is in decline because today's men are too soft

As traditional roles have changed, today's men are more like their mothers than their fathers. No wonder DIY is dying out, says Martin Daubney


'DIY used to make us feel manly. Now, being a man, in the old-fashioned sense, is deeply unfashionable' Photo: Alamy
Saint's note:  I do not look like this guy.

By Martin Daubney     7:00AM GMT    26 Oct 2014

A few days ago, the owners of Homebase announced they are to close a quarter of UK stores because of the reality, they said, of "a generation less skilled in DIY projects”.

Harsh obituary writers were quick to point out that Homebase is overpriced and a bit, well, crap compared to B&Q, but the sobering truth is that the entire DIY sector has taken a hammering in recent years.

Some might argue that the demise of DIY is down to the fact that home ownership on the decline, as more of us are forced to rent, unable to get on the property ladder. (Thought: if Homebase had stocked "property ladders" maybe their fortunes would have improved?)

Yet, undeniably, today’s 20- and 30-somethings don’t seem to possess your traditional “dad skills”. The dismal fact that a mere five per cent of 18-24s would attempt to unblock a sink doesn’t bode well for humanity – unless you’re a plumber.

Although the UK DIY sector is still worth a healthy £7.3 billion per year, that’s its lowest annual worth since 1999, and if it continues to decline at the current rate of 13 per cent per annum, there will be no DIY sector at all by 2040.

A valid point--fewer home owners, fewer men that want to keep their home up to standard.

The rest:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/11186150/DIY-is-in-decline-because-todays-men-are-too-soft.html

[DumbAss Tanker]

Up to standard, Hell, if you live on a farm you have to do it to keep shit from failing completely.

[longview]

Being able to DIY seems to be a mixture of opportunity and necessity.  If more people are renting, their landlords carry more of the responsibility to repair, and wouldn't want their tenants to do work for possibly a few reasons. 

I also think having more disposable income, coupled with an attitude of everything needing an expert may discourage people from trying.  And, it seemed the DIY market became saturated.  People would have to change their paint/tile/cupboards, etc quite frequently to keep all those retail outlets going.

Home or vehicle repair does not come naturally to me, but when I wanted to work on a ranch I figured out how to do many things in order to get my paycheck.   I'm female, and wasn't around anyone with skills when growing up.  Now, I even moonlight in the winter remodeling rentals for friends just for fun.

[JohnnyReb]

Can't speak for England but it could be the liberals efforts to protect people from themselves. You just about have to get a permit from some government agency to wipe your own ass these days.....then pay some government official to inspect it when done.

[Dori]

Can't speak for England but it could be the liberals efforts to protect people from themselves.

A chef in England wrote a cookbook that has a section on how to prepare food that you've hunted and killed yourself.

The publisher wants 80 pages removed that reference knives, guns and hunting.

[thundley4]

Can't speak for England but it could be the liberals efforts to protect people from themselves. You just about have to get a permit from some government agency to wipe your own ass these days.....then pay some government official to inspect it when done.

My city requires a permit and a lot of work to done by licensed electricians or plumbers.   Coincidentally, a couple of city council members are also union leaders. 

[longview]

My city requires a permit and a lot of work to done by licensed electricians or plumbers.   Coincidentally, a couple of city council members are also union leaders. 

That would seriously, um, anger me.

[JohnnyReb]

My city requires a permit and a lot of work to done by licensed electricians or plumbers.   Coincidentally, a couple of city council members are also union leaders. 

Up until Bill Clinton and Al Gore came into power, we could pretty much do as we pleased when it came to home construction and home repairs. The local democrats and the invading Yankees who didn't have enough sense to fend for themselves passed zoning laws and building codes. Caused the county to have to hire numerous more people and pickup trucks for all of them.....and of course the required  number of overpaid burro-crats to over see it all.

Funny but true story. I and an employee of mine built 2 functional outhouses just for the heck of it. They were built from cedar slabs and treated lumber in the base. He took his home for his wife to store her gardening tools in.....and I had mine just for laughs. Building inspector and code enforcer  drove by and demanded to see my building permits. Of course I didn't have any and damn sure wasn't going to get any because I am just an old school asshole. Can you believe this, they expected me to submit a professionally drawn plan for a 4'x4' outhouse and list of materials.....plus pay $50 for a permit and $20 every time it was inspected during construction.

Called the right politician, had a good laugh and it was all forgotten about.

[thundley4]

That would seriously, um, anger me.

If you want to:

Replace a faucet,
Add another electrical outlet,
Install a new ceiling fan,
Replace a water heater,
Replace a toilet,

you are supposed to have a permit and have an inspection done.

[freedumb2003b]

If you want to:

Replace a faucet,
Add another electrical outlet,
Install a new ceiling fan,
Replace a water heater,
Replace a toilet,

you are supposed to have a permit and have an inspection done.

My version of permits:

[longview]

If you want to:

Replace a faucet,
Add another electrical outlet,
Install a new ceiling fan,
Replace a water heater,
Replace a toilet,

you are supposed to have a permit and have an inspection done.

Other than adding an outlet, I have figured out how to do all of those.

I know a couple where she is afraid of welding, he is afraid of electrical, and both are afraid of fresh horses.  We have a symbiotic relationship.     I think I'll stay put and keep fighting against over-regulation.

[Texacon]

Another view on this, in my mind.  More people are working more hours than ever before and you're never truly off anymore with cell phones and email.  When I'm off, I don't want to be doing that kind of stuff and I make enough money to pay someone else to do it so I can enjoy what time I do get off.

Hell, the way I carpenter .... it's better for me to pay someone to do that and let me do what I do for making money.  If it's made of steel and you need it done, I'm your guy!  Heh, that doesn't help out much around the house though.

KC

[thundley4]

Other than adding an outlet, I have figured out how to do all of those.

I know a couple where she is afraid of welding, he is afraid of electrical, and both are afraid of fresh horses.  We have a symbiotic relationship.     I think I'll stay put and keep fighting against over-regulation.

We didn't have much money when I was growing up, so my dad was forced to do most things on his own. I paid attention and I have yet to give in to the urge to call a professional for any repairs or replacements around the house. 

These days there are plenty of sites online to provide details for doing almost any home repairs.

[BattleHymn]

I wish I could find somebody reasonable to do some things around my place. 

About ten years ago, some of my friends began to notice that I was handy around the car/house/barn/whatever, and they would, ahem, "invite" me over when they need some help. 

I caught on a long time ago to what was going on, and although I value my friendships,  I make it clear that unless they want to pay me, I'm not doing anything but armchair general-ing their projects if I come over. 

Life is too short to do work for someone who is too cheap to pay, and too lazy to learn to do it themselves.