Plumbing is the UK’s most admired skill

Plumbing is the UK’s most admired skill, according to 2,000 adults

If you can fix a leak or install a washing machine the chances are you’re a hero to your friends and family, as new research conducted by property maintenance specialists Aspect.co.uk, reveals the everyday skills we admire most.

According to the nationwide poll of 2,000 adults, plumbing skills attract more admiration than any other skill, especially from women and over-55s.

Researchers asked 1022 women and 978 men to rank a range of skills for impressiveness, using a scale of one to ten, with ten being ‘extremely impressive’.

The ability to fix a leak is the skill we admire most, with 37% of UK residents giving it top marks and 68% giving it a mark of seven out of ten or higher for impressiveness.

To the UK public, fixing a leak is twice as impressive as the ability to install a smart home device such as a smart bulb, wall-mount a TV, or edit pictures in Photoshop.

The second most impressive skill is the ability to assemble flat pack furniture, followed by putting up a shelf properly.

Another plumbing skill also fared well in the study. Installing a washing machine was ranked as the fourth most impressive skill overall, with 27% of all participants scoring it a 10 and 61% giving it a seven out of ten or higher.

Top ten most admired household skills

Fix a leak

Assemble flat pack furniture

Put up a shelf (properly)

Install a washing machine

Hang blinds

Change a lock

Fix a faulty Internet connection

Hang wallpaper

Programme a smart TV

Find bargains online

Over-55s are most likely to have positive perceptions of household plumbing skills. Of the over-55s polled, almost half (46%) gave fixing a leak the top score for impressiveness and 33% gave installing a washing machine the same top mark.

Women poll participants were significantly more likely (33% more likely) than men to admire someone with plumbing skills. 42% of women gave fixing a leak the top score for impressiveness and 32% of men did the same. And they are 20% more likely than men to rate the ability to install a washing machine 10/10.

Nick Bizley, Aspect’s director of operations, believes skills that come in handy during an emergency tend to be viewed most positively when compared to other, non-emergency skills.

“We know from firsthand experience how relieved people are to see a qualified and experienced tradesperson at their door, especially during an emergency situation such as a leak. The same sentiment seems to apply when asking people about the skills they admire around the house. It’s easy to be impressed by a skilled handyman who can put together flat-pack furniture or put up a shelf, but when it comes to emergency tasks, the stakes are that little bit higher.

“While we’d always advise people to call on a professional when they have an emergency problem at home, it’s handy to know some basics, such as how to shut off a water supply via the mains to stem a water leak. This can often be the difference between a maintenance problem and a maintenance emergency.”