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Avoid these costly DIY disasters!

Christina Hoghton
Written By:
Christina Hoghton
Posted:
Updated:
02/05/2018

If you are thinking of doing a spot of DIY during the bank holiday weekend, read on to avoid making any expensive mistakes

Six in 10 Brits will reach for the tools this May Day, mainly due to having the spare time to embark on DIY projects.

But a fifth will end up calling in the professionals, costing an average £166 to repair bodged jobs, according to Nationwide.

The building society revealed that 7th May could be an expensive time for DIY enthusiasts, with the research pointing towards accidents, and repeated visits to the store as the nation struggles to get jobs right first time.

Customers made a million transactions across the big four home improvement stores on the last May Day Bank Holiday – one of the most popular times to do home improvements.

The average spend across debt and credit cards was £40.29 per transaction, with 76% more transactions than a regular Monday in May.

Disaster strikes

DIY jobs often end in disaster, with more than one in five (23%) stating they resorted to professional help in order to rectify a bungled job, with the average cost of repair being £166.76.

More than one in 10 have called on experts on multiple occasions.

Londoners are much more likely to suffer a disaster according to the research, with just under a fifth (18%) paying for a professional compared to just 6% in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Of those who have experienced home improvement disasters, the top calamities include:

Short circuit/ electricity problems: 34%
Plaster fell off wall: 28%
Blown a fuse/ broke appliance: 26%
Flooding from damaged water pipe: 19%
Fell through the ceiling: 12%
Ruined structure of the house: 10%
Caused a fire in the home: 9%

Carl Burke, Nationwide’s head of product management, current accounts, said: “Do-it-yourself is as much a part of a May Bank Holiday as going to the seaside or getting stuck in traffic. As a nation we spend millions of pounds on tools and materials across Britain’s home improvement stores and online, with our data showing the average spend as slightly over £40.

“But as our research shows, the actual costs could be much higher, particularly as we often misjudge routine jobs around the house.

“Whatever the project, plan for the cost accordingly and ensure you are confident of not only attempting the job but also that it will be done properly and to budget.”