Make Sure You Are Covered: Avoid Summer DIY Disasters

With holidaying-at-home becoming increasingly popular, many in the UK are now staying around to relax at home or in the garden, or spend some quality time in the local. For a third of us, however, that won’t be our local hostelry, but a DIY store.

A Towergate survey has shown that we spend an average 6.5 days doing DIY work around the house each year, splashing thousands of pounds: up to £4,965 a year in London, £4,623 in Northern Ireland and £4,533 in the North East. Even the lowest averages in Scotland (£2,467) and Wales (£2,789) are a tidy sum.

With this considerable outlay, it’s crucial to ensure you are getting the right result, and your exciting project doesn’t turn out to be stressful, break your budget or become a bit of a mess.

Many DIY jobs each year do go wrong. Almost a third of those who tried to refit their kitchen had to bring in a professional to sort out the job after things went awry, while bathrooms also cause issues: 25% of people have been left in difficulty and needed expert advice. Even tasks that might seem simpler, such as painting and decorating, have seen nearly a quarter of people have to call in professional help.

Talk to property improvement experts

Overall, our survey showed more than 20% of people have needed to call on professional help in some way to resolve issues they have faced. How do you avoid such a DIY disaster?

Natalia Freeman, Towergate Marketing Manager covering home and property insurance, notes that if you are keen to implement your home improvements and have been “inspired by Pinterest, a DIY show or simply trying to save money,” it’s crucial to know what you are taking on, and when you should turn to an expert first, to save you trouble and greater expense later. “It’s worth seeking the advice of a professional for those slightly bigger or trickier jobs,” she emphasises.

Getting the changes right first time also means you add the most value to your property, by achieving the optimum result at the best price. Use our tool to see which home renovations will offer the most reward in terms of any resale.

Take out home renovation insurance

If you are doing extensive work on your property, you also need the right cover against any accidents or damage. Home renovation insurance allows you to stay protected while you carry out the work to your property, whether you are performing repairs, structural work or large-scale renovations.

Natalia continues: “It’s important to remember that work you carry out in your home may not be covered by your standard home insurance policy. So it’s crucial that you check your policy exclusions and contact your broker.”

In short, be aware of what you are taking on with your home renovation project, and be prepared and insured against any mishaps. Then you can enjoy your next staycation in your newly renovated dream home; or use the money saved by your careful planning for that extra-special holiday elsewhere.

Survey of over 2,000 people, carried out on 8-13 July 2016.