Almost 69 per cent of women reckon they are handy around the home, with forty-seven per cent actually owning their own toolbox.

And the poll revealed the surge in women attempting DIY is down to the credit crunch as they try to save the money usually spent on getting a tradesman in.

Sylvia Marshall for the website www.cosyhomesonline.com, which carried out the poll, said: ‘’Women have naturally become more assertive when it comes to home improvement". 

The poll, of 2,000 women revealed that 63 per cent reckon they could put up a shelf, and another 80 per cent would know what to do if their fuse box tripped out. Almost a quarter (23%) feel confident they could tile a floor and more than 64 per cent would happily bleed a radiator. Two thirds would be able to change a plug and 79 per cent know how to change a fuse. Researchers also found that 46 per cent would attempt to put flatpack furniture together, while 42 per cent would easily be able to paint or varnish a fence.

Two per cent would even be able to lay a patio.

The survey revealed that more than 50% of women rely on the internet for tips and this is reflected in the massive growth in female membership at www.cosyhomesonline.com

A spokesman for www.cosyhomesonline.com added: ‘’ “The research suggests women are certainly giving men a run for their money in the home improvement stakes and are obviously feeling confident when it comes to tackling DIY tasks like changing plugs, shelving and tiling.”