Whether you live in a rambling old farmhouse, a family semi in the suburbs or a chic city flat, chances are at some point all homeowners will find themselves confronted with a leaky radiator, broken kitchen tap or draughty window.

When these pesky little problems occur, rather than shelling out the cash and waiting around for a professional, it can be useful to carry out these jobs yourself.

And, according to Paul Minderides, professional tradesman from Wickes, one skill that every budding DIY-er should have in their arsenal is being able to change a radiator.

If you've bought a fancy new chrome towel radiator for your bathroom or simply need to replace that leaky old one in the living room, by following a few easy steps you can have the old one out and the new one in with minimal fuss.

"It really is something that a keen DIY-er should be able to tackle," explains Paul.

"Changing a radiator doesn't even involve draining the system at all, you just lock the house off, you can remove the radiator, make sure you don't spill any water and fit the new radiator, tighten it up, fill the system back up."

Aside from the satisfied glow of a job well done, carrying out simple DIY tasks such as this will also have a positive impact on your bank balance and, with the latest figures from Lloyds TSB showing that Brits are spending less and less on their home improvements, this could come as welcome news to many householders.

The research shows that homeowners spent only £7.8 billion on DIY in 2011 - equivalent to around £300 per household - which is the lowest total since records began in 1996.

Therefore, if you're keen to cut back on expenditure but don't want your home to fall into disarray, it may be time to dig out those overalls, dust off that toolbox and get stuck into some DIY.