Over a quarter of Brits look for a well-presented van when employing a tradesperson

A study of 2,000 UK adults who have completed work on their homes in the last 10 years has found that just under one in three households said a clean van indicates a trustworthy tradesperson, while 38 per cent believe it shows promise of a tidy approach to work.

Following the surge in home renovations of recent times, a huge 83 per cent agree that a dependable trade is a valuable contact, and 58 per cent say they value good tradespeople more since the pandemic.

Clean and tidy workers are especially well received, as eight in 10 homeowners said tidiness was very important when having work done to their homes.

When weighing up 'getting someone in' versus DIY, one in three people prefer a tradesperson to carry out work or repairs on their home rather than attempting it themselves, to ensure the work is completed to a high standard.

The study, commissioned by the nearly new car and van retailer Motorpoint, also found that nearly half of respondents believe using a qualified tradesperson minimises future problems, while 37 per cent believe it saves time over DIY.

In response to the findings, a mesmerizing video which shows the incredible transformation of a dirty van into a motoring masterpiece has been unveiled.

Artist Rick Minns, aka Ruddy Muddy, spent two days painstakingly recreating Vincent Van Gogh’s legendary 1888 self-portrait on the rear of a mud-splattered Peugeot Boxer.

The artwork was commissioned as a salute to tradespeople and commercial vehicle drivers.

Mark Carpenter, CEO at Motorpoint, said: “Our partnership with van artist Ruddy Muddy is a visual tribute to the craftsmanship, talent and passion that goes into creating a masterpiece - of course, it had to be a Van Gogh.

“We also wanted to shine a light on tradespeople; those who helped us achieve all our renovation goals during the pandemic and kept us safe with good workmanship and advice when things go wrong with our homes.