Are We Facing the Death of DIY as British Homes Languish in Disrepair?

LONDON, March 31, 2010 - Shabby British houses are in the worst state of repair
compared to the rest of Europe with nearly every second home in need of
renovation, largely due to more than a third having been built at least 60
years ago according to research released for the first time in the UK by
Bosch today (Wednesday 31st March).

What's more, despite bank holiday nest building as traditional
an activity in Great Britain as talking about the weather, sarcasm or keeping
a stiff upper lip, figures show that surprisingly the UK is less interested
in DIY than other nations.

The shocking statistics show that:

    - 45% of Brits claim to have little interest in DIY (compared to 73% in
      Spain who describe themselves as passionate about renovating their
      homes as they are about going on holiday, fashion or sport)

    - Only 14% in the UK describe their ability as nearly professional or
      advanced compared to a whopping 47% of Germans who see themselves as
      semi professional DIY-ers

    - More than a third of us (35%) are living in homes built during the
      first half of the last century, (compared to just 7% in Spain) with
      only 5% of houses having been built in the last decade (as opposed to
      18% of people living in new builds in Poland).

    - Only 2% of Brits live in brand spanking new, state of the art homes
      compared to more than a third (36%) of our friends in France

    - 7% of us admit our homes are very out-dated and in need of renovation,
      as opposed to just 1% of French people in the same predicament

It would appear that this decline in home making passion is largely
prominent amongst the younger generations. The 'Do It with Bosch' report
revealed that when faced with a practical task at home, a shocking 63% of
people under the age of 35 admit they simply wouldn't know what to do with a
toolbox, while 70% think home improvement is just too much effort.

Bosch DIY expert, Chris Tidy, believes this situation has
arisen because we are failing to pass essential home-making skills onto our
children. "In the past parents would hand down DIY skills to their children,
but today's mums and dads are either too busy, or don't have practical
know-how themselves, relying on getting in professional help when repairs or
improvements are needed."

Chris Tidy explains that reviving the British passion for DIY
is simply a matter of confidence and could help us all to save money, get
jobs done faster and personalise our living space: "I believe that no matter
who you are, or what the job, DIY can be time and cost-effective as well as
straightforward with simple step-by-step instructions and light-weight, easy
to use power tools. What's more the personal fulfilment and satisfaction that
comes from doing a significant job yourself is unbeatable."

Bosch has created a 'How To' guide, perfect for parents and
families providing simple instructions on the most popular jobs tackled by
the nation, including putting up shelves, hanging doors and painting walls.
Simply log onto the Bosch DIY advisory website at
www.bosch-do-it.co.uk/diy/houseofbosch/ for key advice, top tips and a
list of tools perfect for each job.

Chris Tidy concludes: "Don't forget, good power tools are
credit crunch friendly - you can get an IXO cordless screwdriver for under
GBP40 and the help and advice on the Bosch website is free."

About GfK Consumer Tracking for Bosch Research:

Sample sizes per country:

    Household base                 Individual base

    Germany: 2,063                 Germany: 2,325
    UK:      2,000                      UK: 2,460
    France:  2,000                  France: 2,160
    Spain:   2,000                   Spain: 2,181
    Poland:  2,010                  Poland: 2,291

About the 'Do it with Bosch Survey'

Research was conducted via the TNS Online Omnibus between 17th and 21st
September 2009

    - The Omnibus is a fully representative sample of GB households
    - 1025 respondents were interviewed online
    - All respondents were aged 16-64
    - All data was collected in line with the Market Research Society's Code
      of Conduct

For more information on Bosch power tools, please contact: Julia Morgan, Ketchum Pleon, julia.morgan at ketchumpleon.com, +44(0)20-7611-3513