DIY is common among homeowners in Europe and North America. Couples will happily spend their weekend browsing enormous Do It Yourself stores in Britain and the United States and then haul their purchases home to embark on major renovation projects.
No job is too large it seems, from putting up shelves, to renovating bathrooms, or converting lofts.
But in Hong Kong, people prefer to employ someone to do these jobs. This is mainly because labour is cheaper than in the west, but there are other factors to consider, such as the lack of free time and lack of space for storing tools. Without a culture of DIY there is little knowledge in the city about the concept.
Compounding the problem is the difficulty of sourcing DIY products. Suppliers are spread out, with many specialist shops offering products to help renovate your home, but few offer all the things you need under one roof.
British DIY giant B&Q hopes to change all this. The firm's newly opened store at MegaBox in Kowloon Bay is 120,000 sqft over two floors and is packed with every conceivable home improvement product - from cement, to sofas, plants, sinks, and ready-made conservatories - it is a one-stop-shop for anyone planning to improve their home.
'The traditional home improvement market in Hong Kong is mainly on Lockhart Road [in Wan Chai] and there are many small home improvement shops across Hong Kong. But, by putting everything together, we believe we will save people time and money,' said Oliver Leung Wing-hong, general store manager, B&Q Asia.