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Half of homeowners plan to do some DIY this Bank Holiday weekend

Christina Hoghton
Written By:
Posted:
24/08/2021
Updated:
25/08/2021

Having a go at home improvements can be a great idea, but some things are best left to the professionals

Half of homeowners will be undertaking some sort of DIY task this Bank Holiday weekend, according to GoCompare Home Insurance.

The price comparison site said that top of the list was improving the garden while painting and general repairs complete the top three DIY tasks.

The survey, which asked 2,000 homeowners about their home improvement plans, found 60% said they are planning to undertake the work themselves, while 12% said they’d be getting a professional tradesman in to do some of the jobs. Only 3% said they’d hire a tradesman to do all of the jobs.

Of those planning to DIY it, 19% said they could not afford to get a tradesperson in, 18% said they were concerned about having someone in their home during the pandemic, and a further 32% said they didn’t want to pay someone if they can “have a go themselves”.

DIY dangers

If you are planning DIY this Bank Holiday weekend it’s important you check your home insurance to make sure you’re covered against accidental damage, and that any work you do won’t invalidate your policy.

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The majority of home insurance policies do not cover accidental damage as standard so if something goes wrong, homeowners may have to foot the bill for any subsequent repairs.

Ryan Fulthorpe, home insurance expert at GoCompare, explained: “Having a sort out or doing some repairs around the house is obviously popular with a lot of UK homeowners, but there’s a fine line between “having a go” and getting into hot water because of a botched DIY job.

“Any electrical, plumbing and gas work should be carried out by a registered professional and tackling jobs you’re not qualified for could also invalidate your home insurance, leaving you liable for the cost of repairing any damage caused.

“Many people may not realise that a lot of home insurance policies don’t cover accidental damage to your home or belongings unless you have specifically added cover. So, as well as the safety risk, there’s also a risk to your wallet if it goes wrong and you could be hundreds of pounds out of pocket.”

Accidental damage cover can be added to a home insurance policy and covers any loss or damage to your property and possessions as a result of an unforeseen accident. But insurers can refuse accidental damage claims if the event wasn’t an accident, or was caused by poor workmanship or faulty materials.