Print friendly version 21 May 2008

DIY costs inexperienced homeowners £1.5bn

Homeowners spend more than £1.5bn remedying botched DIY jobs, according to UK home insurance company Zurich.

Research from the insurer found that almost 16% of homeowners who have undertaken DIY work in their home have had to call in the experts to fix their mistakes. More than a third of those who needed to call in professional help were trying to save money by making home improvements themselves, however seeking professional help is estimated to cost an average of £280, with some jobs reaching £2000.

DIY undertaken by homeowners typically ranges from painting and bleeding radiators to renovating entire rooms, fixing boilers and rewiring electrics. Jobs that go wrong are primarily caused by inexperience, according to Zurich, with 38% of homeowners citing this as the main reason why things went awry. Underestimating the size of the job or not having the right tools to finish came in second, being the main reason for 11% of homeowners.

An estimated 47% of those homeowners who undertake major DIY work do not inform their home insurer they are planning to make to the property, while 17% do not have accidental damage cover. Nearly three quarters do not know if their home insurance policy covers any DIY mistakes made by themselves or their partner, and 87% carry out DIY without checking whether they were insured for the work or any resulting damage before they started.

Steve Gilbert, technical underwriting manager at Zurich said: “With so many homeowners trying their hand at DIY, mistakes will happen but as this research shows it's important to know your limits if you don't want to end up out of pocket.

"Doing it yourself can be a great achievement but we would like to remind all DIY novices that they can often endanger themselves and their property, so if you are unsure, always call in a professional. It's a good idea to call your insurer to check that you are covered in the event of DIY going wrong, and certainly to make sure that any structural changes won't void your policy."

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