The high cost of DIY

We do love our DIY and many of us plan to paint, decorate and renovate across the Easter weekend. But before we pick up a brush, we should make sure that our home insurance cover is adequate, says home insurer Churchill. That’s because the insurer’s research shows how easily DIY can turn to disaster and how costly it can be.

Churchill’s research shows that in the last year, one fifth of householders have accidentally damaged their home or contents while doing DIY. Ten per cent of us have caused accidental damage at least once and another ten per cent at least twice in the last year.

According to the research, 51 per cent of householders say they are not very good at DIY and household maintenance tasks. Meanwhile 79 per cent of householders wish they were better at DIY, with 19 per cent saying they hadn’t had the time to learn to do DIY properly. Another 18 per cent just can’t get the hang of it.

Perhaps that’s why there are so many DIY disasters such as spilling paint on the carpet, falling off a ladder and breaking the furniture, dropping a hammer on a glass table, getting white spirit on the sofa, driving a nail into an electric cable and drilling into a water pipe.

The average accidental damage claim will set you back £540, according to Churchill’s 2005 claims figures, so householders should make sure they have the right level of cover before they pick up a hammer or a brush. It’s worth checking that your insurer provides accidental damage.

Martin Scott, Head of Churchill Home Insurance, said: ‘Householders who have elected to include accidental damage cover under their home insurance policy have the added reassurance that they are covered if a DIY accident causes damage in the home.’