As many as 3.7m people have suffered property damage caused by neighbours trying to renovate their properties in the last five years, a study has revealed.

Figures released by insurer Direct Line revealed the cost of this damage totals more than £1.5bn.

Damage to fencing was the most common problem during renovations, with 43% of cases involving an issue of this kind. Windows and garden features were also regularly affected, the research said.

Only a third of neighbours accepted responsibility for the damages while three-in-ten blamed somebody else.

While the majority of neighbours (53%) paid at least half the cost of the repairs, almost a fifth (19%) did not contribute a penny.

Some 17% of those with damaged properties did not directly confront neighbours about damage to their property.

Nick Brabham, head of Select Premier Insurance, said: “In the UK we take pride in our homes with many seeing extending and renovating their homes as a way to improve their living standards. As such it is not surprising that in the 12 months to September last year we saw more than 55,000 residential planning applications made in England with more than three quarters of them accepted.

“If you or your neighbours are thinking about starting a home makeover project it is worth assessing and discussing the risk of damage to adjacent properties with neighbours.”