‘Home Hermits' - Brits to spend record time indoors this January

The findings from Halifax Home Insurance reveal more than a third (39 per cent) of Brits will be staying-in more than usual this month, mainly because they don't have the cash to go out (58 per cent) or are trying to save money (47 per cent).

Moreover, more than five million people (11 per cent) plan on forgoing the outside world altogether by spending in excess of 20 hours inside their home each weekend in January - not including time spent sleeping.

On top of the financial hangover, a general feeling of Christmas overindulgence (21 per cent) and a desire to avoiding going out drinking and eating (16 per cent) has meant Britons are replacing their socialising with indoor activities.

And while many Britons will be turning to cost-effective interior entertainment including watching DVDs and playing computer games that were received as Christmas gifts (19 per cent) a significant number will be embarking on DIY projects (28 per cent).

This New Year DIY boom comes as people are forced to repair items around the home that they can't afford to replace (37 per cent) including fittings that were broken over the Christmas period (11 per cent).

Martyn Foulds, senior claims manager at Halifax Home Insurance comments: "DIY is a great way to save money and keep yourself occupied - but for many it can prove a false economy.  Our research shows on average more than one in six DIY jobs go wrong, each costing £426 to fix. With more than four million DIY tasks already having been botched this month, we estimate the cost to homeowners has been almost £540 million."

A further one in four people (28 per cent) intend to embark on DIY simply to keep them occupied during the extra hours they will spend in the home this January.  Painting rooms is the most popular DIY task to be undertaken (64 per cent), followed by bleeding radiators (32 per cent), building flat pack furniture (32 per cent), putting up shelves (31 per cent) and tending to the garden (31 per cent).

But financial pressures mean that two thirds (66 per cent) of people are bypassing professional tradesmen in favour of roping in friends and family members to help with the work, including fitting bathrooms (13 per cent) or kitchens (10 per cent) - despite the fact over half (59 per cent) of these people are unqualified.  Because of this, the insurer is today urging people to only employ professional tradespeople to take on the more complicated home improvement or repair jobs.

Martyn Foulds adds: "We advise anyone undertaking big jobs to check their home insurance policy to ensure they are adequately covered for accidental damage.  For larger jobs involving gas, electrical or plumbing work, it's always best to call a qualified professional, otherwise homeowners run the risk of invalidating their home insurance policy if things go wrong."