If your home improvement skills are a little rusty, when confronted with leaky bath taps, broken kitchen tiles or damaged floorboards chances are you'll pick up the phone and call in the services of a professional to get the job done.

But, as DIY moves into the digital age, it could be that more and more homeowners are choosing to save themselves a bit of cash by carrying out home improvements themselves.

Interiors journalist Ellie Tennant has pointed out that the rise of DIY apps and online videos is making home improvements more accessible to homeowners who might otherwise have shunned the idea of tackling all those odd jobs.

"I know some companies now allow you to scan the packaging and it will show you the instructions," she says.

"But also, as well as having instructions on the tub or product, with lots of companies you can actually go onto their website and in a few seconds you can see a video showing you exactly how to do it."

Although it's probably still a good idea to leave more complicated jobs such as plumbing and electrics to the professionals, householders may find that DIY is not such as mystery when it's clearly outlined through a simple video.

"I think we're lucky that we live in a digital age, because I'm not very good with 2D line drawings or those kinds of instructions," Ellie adds.

"When somebody actually physically shows you how to do it on a video it's so much easier - it's like having your dad in the living room showing you."

However, if you're still a DIY novice be careful not to bite off more than you can chew when delving into a home improvement project on your property.

Start small with simple tasks such as painting or wallpapering - for which you can access easy-follow instructions online - and then gradually build up until you're a DIY pro.