British residents caused an average of £158 of damage to their homes through botched DIY jobs, research by The Co-operative Insurance has revealed.
With nearly 9 out of 10 admitting that they attempt DIY, over half (54 per cent) confess it’s only because they don’t want to pay for a professional to do the handiwork, whilst 11 per cent don’t want strangers in their home.
A fifth of those that have tried their hand at some do-it-yourself adjustments in the home admit that they’ve had a DIY failure that was expensive to rectify.
The average cost of fixing DIY disasters is £158 per household per year, and furthermore, 85 per cent of Brits admitted they weren’t sure if they’d be covered on their house insurance. Over a third have also injured themselves with 32 per cent needing medical treatment after getting the tools out.
Despite the have-a-go attitude adopted by homeowners, there are some jobs that are just too big. However, topping the list of the most common DIY jobs is the unadventurous changing of a light bulb (43 per cent) followed by painting the walls (28 per cent) and wallpapering the walls (16 per cent).
Top 10 Most Avoided DIY Jobs
1) Replacing fallen roof tiles (59%)
2) Plumbing (58%)
3) Installing a shower (56%)
4) Plastering (52%)
5) Knocking down a wall (49%)
6) Laying a carpet (45%)
7) Paving the drive (44%)
8) Laying laminate flooring (41%)
9) Fitting a kitchen unit (40%)
10) Clearing the gutters (35%)
Anthony Lewis, head of home insurance at The Co-operative Insurance says; “Whilst simple DIY tasks can be rewarding, we would urge people to think of their own safety and the possible implications of the DIY job going wrong.
“We would recommend that people double check what their home insurance covers and assess whether it is best for them and covers all of their needs. Accidental Damage insurance will give you peace of mind should you spill paint on the carpet, or damage your home. This is additional cover that should be considered ahead of planning any tricky DIY tasks.”
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