Less need for a man about the house
As female home ownership grows, the B&Q poll revealed half of all women spend between one and five hours a week doing DIY.
One in five households are now owned by single women and a fifth of all women spend between six and 10 hours a week on DIY.
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Hide AdNearly four in 10 said they did DIY as they have just bought a property, with the same number saying it was the only way to get things done.
Two thirds of women would rather try to carry out basic DIY tasks themselves first, before asking anyone to help them.
But they are more comfortable painting (82 per cent), changing light bulbs (79 per cent) or ripping wallpaper (77 per cent) than building furniture (47 per cent) or changing a fuse (46 per cent).
Katherine Paterson, marketing director of B&Q, said: “Our findings show that DIY is no longer just a man’s game.
“More women are recognising that with the right skills anyone can try their hand at tiling, putting up a shelf or taking on a bigger refurbishment project.”
The survey of 2,000 British women showed that of the 60 per cent who are currently in a relationship, over a third said they do more DIY around the house than their partner.
A third of women polled believe they are better at DIY than their partner.