AS the saying goes, ‘An Englishman’s home is his castle’ which due to current circumstances has never been truer.

New research reveals that as a nation our DIY skills are in decline with almost a fifth (16 per cent) of the UK having had a DIY disaster.

The findings from Bayut, the UAE’s largest property portal, reveal that when it comes to DIY disasters the younger generations have the most mishaps.

Gen Z, those born between the early 1990s and early 2010s, are identified as the biggest culprits with 93 per cent of all their DIY ending in disaster.

Millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, aren't having much luck either with 87 per cent admitting to home disasters.

It’s not major home renovations that send the younger generations into a frenzy – simple tasks such as hanging a picture prove too difficult for Gen Z with 27 per cent saying they can’t, compared to 80 per cent of baby boomers.

Over a quarter (26 per cent) of 18-24 year old's admit to breaking what they were meant to be fixing in frustration.

Baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, are the clumsiest with tools, with almost a third (32 per cent) confessing they have hit their hands with a hammer compared to only 18 per cent of millennials.

The top 10 most common DIY disasters:

1 Dropping paint on the floor (30%)

2 Hitting yourself with a hammer (27%)

3 Covering yourself in paint (25%)

4 Not being able to build a flat pack (22%)

5 Not being able to hang a picture or mirror (21%)

6 Sticking your fingers together using glue (19%)

7 Putting a hole in a wall (17%)

8 Smashing something because you are frustrated (16%)

9 Not using the correct screws (16%)

10 Measuring a space wrong so the item doesn’t fit (14%).

While the younger generations may be making more mistakes, that could be because they do DIY more regularly.

Almost a quarter (24 per cent) of millennials carry out home improvements every couple of weeks compared to just eight per cent of their parents (44-64 year old).

Millennials would also rather turn to social media than ask family for help.

Recent research found that as many as 87 per cent will turn to Google for help with these seemingly straightforward tasks, such as bleeding a radiator, putting up wallpaper and changing a light bulb.

The findings reveal a gender split, with 24 per cent of women saying they’ve never had a DIY disaster compared to just 18 per cent of men.

Women are also less likely to have injured themselves or someone else whilst doing DIY, with only 10 per cent saying they’ve done so compared with 14 per cent of men.