NEWS EXTRA What are the DIY jobs of the future?


With the integration of technology throughout the home, with the likes of smart meters, smart vehicles and more, the consumer need for a tradesperson around the house is already evolving with a growing variety of needs outside of plumbing, gas and heating that require even more expertise to complete. Tarquin Purdie examines some of the DIY jobs of the future, which could soon become the norm.


The way we live is changing and while today’s trade callouts focus on hands on jobs for trained professionals, this might not be the case in


years to come. With


technology doing more and more of the heavy lifting and products and appliances lasting for longer, we could see the tradesperson jobs of today vanish as more integration and greater advancements in household technology take over. So what are the DIY sector jobs of the future?


Smart vehicle maintenance Electric cars are becoming more commonplace and while we are yet to see a futuristic style hovercar, this latest wave of auto tech requires additional maintenance to the traditional car. While the car itself still needs mechanic maintenance, there is also the matter of the charging and programming points. While these are largely found areas, it’s


in public thought they will soon be fitted in every 6 DIY WEEK 14 FEBRUARY 2020


home and will require someone to keep them in tip-top shape when they are.


Heat absorbent plaster and odour absorbing paint


Paint and plaster is a purely aesthetic job for the tradesperson of today but this might not be the case in the future.


Heat absorbent plaster will


hold heat to distribute during the colder nights, thus saving on energy bills,


while odour


absorbing paint will be used in kitchens, toilets and utility rooms to keep bad smells at bay and reduce the use of aerosol-based sprays.


Having a trained tradesperson to apply these properly will be vital for success.


Self-cleaning surfaces While we wouldn’t get a tradesperson round to


clean


our kitchen surfaces today, they may be required to service the self-cleaning surfaces, floors and windows of the house of the future.


Becoming smart


At the moment we have Alexa, but soon our homes could be


run by integrated


technology that does everything from cooking the dinner to locking the doors for us. If we are going to place such trust in this automated integrated way of life, it’s vital that our home assistant is actually cooking the dinner and locking the doors to avoid food poisoning or encouraging a break in. This presents a major DIY job of the future for those that keep on top of this tech and are trained to maintain it.


Sustainable energy With sustainability already a hot topic, the home of the future will no doubt focus more on sustainable energy, including everything from mini wind turbines to solar panels and geothermal


heat pumps.


It is also thought there will be energy harvesting floors that when walked on can generate their own energy. However, all of these will require installation, maintenance and servicing to keep them in good order,


smart


providing an opportunity for the tradesperson of the future.


Automated robots These are already starting to enter the household through the development of pre-programmed hoovers but with technology advancing every day, we could soon see self-sufficient


robots


become more commonplace and carrying out all sorts of jobs from cleaning to cooking to walking the dog. While they may also take over some of the more basic tradesperson jobs they will still need a qualified professional to keep them in top shape.


Facial recognition and home security There are already a wide array of fancy additional security measures above and beyond the lock and key. Smart doorbells are one such advancement that are becoming more commonplace in the average home as well as CCTV, where once only the rich could afford them. It’s thought these will advance further to take over the function of the simple door key and only allow


verified people to enter your home via facial recognition software. However, should they go wrong, you will still need to call out a professional locksmith to remedy the issue, but rather than changing a lock they will be rebooting your facial recognition tech.


The 3D printer 3D printers are quickly becoming a go-to piece of technology and their ability to print almost any design is remarkable. The home of the future could well see one come as standard and rather than call out a tradesperson to complete a job, you could simply print


the tools or any


other household item yourself and get going. But again, they will need a professional to keep them in working order and this could be yet another job for the tradesperson of the future.


Tarquin Purdie is founder and CEO of HaMuch, the tradesperson comparison website.


www.diyweek.net


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