Brits pay other people £7bn to do the chores

Brits are spending an estimated £7bn a year on help in the home such as cleaners, gardeners and an odd-job man, according to new research from Legal & General.

The Changing Face of British Homes study of over 4,000 people found that 41% of participants prefer to pay someone to do work around their home rather than do it themselves, costing them almost £700 a year.

Amongst that 41% the following types of help are the most popular:

Window cleaner 61%

Someone to deliver groceries 32%

Odd-job man 17%

House cleaner 17%

Gardener 17%

Ironing help 7%

Car cleaner 5%

Dog walker 5%

Londoners employ the most people in their homes and, interestingly, the under-25s hire the most home help.

Top five reasons for having help in the home are:

They’re chores that I prefer not to do myself 30%

I don’t have the equipment to do something myself so I employ someone else who does 29%

I don’t have time to do these jobs myself because I’m at work and my lifestyle is too hectic 20%

I don’t know how to do something myself so I employ someone who does 16%

My free time with my friends and family is valuable to me and I want to keep it free 12%