With the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) reporting record mortgage lending figures for the first two months of this year, it is likely many homeowners will be doing-it-themselves, hoping to add a few extra pounds to their property before putting it up for sale.
The report found that doing away with the traditional bath, replacing it with just a shower or wet room, could put more than one in three buyers off your home.
And for those who canÂ’t be bothered picking up the tools this weekend, then donÂ’t panic because 32 per cent of first-time buyers and one in five home movers prefer to buy a house that needs some work doing to it, so they can make their mark and also add value.
Gary Lumby, Yorkshire Bank’s head of retail, said: “Easter is often the time when the housing market starts to pick-up and, after recent record lending figures, 2006 looks like no exception. It is also a time when many homeowners decide to carry out a few home improvements before putting their home on the market.
“However, doing some DIY this Easter may actually be a bad move. Our advice to homeowners is don’t ditch DIY totally, but do think carefully about the work you are planning to undertake as you could actually be reducing, not adding, value to your home.”
It is not uncommon for DIY to bring about some unplanned disasters, everyone knows that accidents can happen, so make sure youÂ’re prepared for everything.
Ahead of the Easter DIY dash, price comparison website insuresupermarket.com is urging people to make sure they have suitable cover for any nasty surprises.
Richard Mason, director of insuresupermarket.com, said: “DIY is always a popular way to spend the Bank Holiday, but accidents can happen, whether it’s spilling paint on the carpet or drilling through a water pipe.
“Whilst most DIY jobs are relatively simple, when people attempt more complicated jobs, accidents can occur.”
Consider the implications of a botched DIY job, for example, if you install a new bathroom which leaks through into your neighbourÂ’s flat below, you will be liable and have a much more costly problem.
Find out how much your home is worth here
