Spilled paint, plaster peeling off the walls and burst pipes are some of the most common DIY disasters for homeowners in their first year of doing up a property, a new survey has found.
The study of 1,000 home movers by insurer Aviva found that people spend on average more than £10,000 in the first year doing up their new property.
To try and save money, nine out of 10 people questioned said they did at least some of the renovations and redecorations themselves.
However, they often have to spend more to rectify their botched jobs.
According to the study, four in 10 homeowners admitted to a DIY disaster in the first year of doing up their property.
And when things get really bad, more than half of DIY-ers (54%) had to call in a professional to put right their mistakes.
Adam Beckett, propositions director for Aviva said: “When it comes to decorating and renovating most of us have a ‘can do’ attitude – or we’re at least willing to give things a go! Budgets are often tight after a house move too, so DIY can be a great way of saving cash. However, the reality is that some jobs are trickier than they look and can actually ending up costing more if mistakes need to be put right.
“It’s always worth weighing up whether the DIY route is the best way to go, particularly when it comes to plumbing or electrical jobs which could be extremely dangerous if things go wrong. Prevention is better than the cure when it comes to DIY disasters, but when mistakes do happen, it’s worth getting in touch with your home insurance provider – particularly if you have accidental damage cover – as they may well be able to help you get back to that house beautiful.”
The most common DIY disasters
Spilled paint on carpet / furniture
Plaster fell off walls
Burst pipe
Put a hole through wall / ceiling
Injured self
Did a poor job of decorating and had to re-do
Ceiling fell down
Broke a window
Broke an electrical item
Broke a household item
