A third of plumbers and tradespeople expect an increase in business this year, as a Wickes survey shows homeowners often botch DIY work.

The survey of 1,000 UK tradespeople found that, despite more than half witnessing a marked decline in their volume of work last year, 33% believe they will see an uplift in 2011, while 32% predict business levels will remain the same.

Of the 54% who experienced a drop in work last year, 87% attributed the decline to the recession, with rising numbers of homeowners choosing to take on tasks themselves to save money.

Wickes also polled 2,000 UK homeowners and found that 61% planned to carry out DIY work on their own home. The survey had good news for the trade, however, with more than a third of those who had previously carried out DIY work admitting to having to call in a professional to correct their bodged work.