MANY young people struggle to carry out the most basic household tasks, according to research from Direct Line Home Response 24.

Almost half of those under 40 were found to struggle when wallpapering a room, 27 per cent have difficulty when sewing a hem and a quarter do not know how to wire a plug.

Furthermore, 44 per cent of under 30s do not know how to bleed a radiator and just over a third cannot unblock a drain. Only 10 per cent and 27 per cent of their parents' generation respectively, have such difficulties.

This domestic skills shortage comes at a high financial cost. The younger generation spends around £1,741 per year on hiring tradesmen to carry out these household tasks with the over 50s spending an average of just £331.

Carmel McCarthy, Direct Line Home Response 24 spokesman, said: "It's surprising to see how many skills, which were commonplace a generation ago, appear to have fallen out of favour.

"Calling in tradespeople for basic domestic repairs can be expensive but attempting to deal with things yourself without the right skills can be dangerous."

But under 30s do have some advantages over their older counterparts 16 per cent of the over 50s admit to struggling to assemble flat-pack furniture compared to just four per cent of the younger generation.