Brits spend over £7bn on help in the home

Brits are spending an estimated £7billion on help in the home such as cleaners, gardeners and the ‘odd job man', according to new figures from Legal & General.

The research suggests that rather than a ‘Do It Yourself', DIY culture, we're now a nation of YDI, ‘You Do It', by employing people to do household chores for us. 41% of Brits prefer to pay someone to do work around their home rather than doing it themselves, which is costing them close to £700 a year.

The £7billion assumes that these helpers are paid the minimum hourly wage, but in reality this, figure could be much higher.

At a time when there has been widespread concern over the impact of the credit crunch, the amount we are prepared to spend on help in the home questions whether Brits would be prepared to give up this help as they feel the pinch.

The findings are the latest from Legal & General's ‘Changing Face of British Homes' research - an ongoing study of over 4,000 people exploring how different demographics have different needs and priorities for our homes.

Regionally, it is people in London that employ the most people in their homes, an average number of 2.2 people. They are also the most likely to have a cleaner, 12%. The most likely reason for Londoners to employ help in the home is that their lifestyles are too hectic, 24%.

By age group, under 25's hire the most home help, an average of 2.48 people.

By lifestyle group, multi-generation families, that is a couple with children and the grandparents living together, employ the most people in the home, 2.36.

Some Brits are hiring a number of people, with 6% employing five or more people.

Ruth Wilkins, Head of Communications at Legal & General's general insurance business commented: "Following a range of everyday price hikes such as petrol, heating, food and council tax, the cost of living is more expensive for UK households. Although household budgets may be stretched it seems that Brits are moving away from DIY and are now keen on ‘YDI' by getting in help for the more traditional jobs around the home.

Having people in our home to help with the household chores may mean a higher security risk. For example, extra keys may need to be cut to allow a cleaner or gardener entry when nobody else is around. So it's a good idea to do a few checks on anyone that we let into our homes, particularly those who we are going to trust with a set of house keys. Always check identification of callers at the door, genuine tradesmen will be happy to wait while you check with their company.

We would also recommend that people check with their home insurance provider that their home contents are protected against theft or damage caused by someone you have employed to be in your home, such as a cleaner or a builder."