Ahead of the bank holiday weekend which is popular for DIY, new research shows that one in seven home owners in the UK have faced a home improvement mishap within the last three years.
Over Easter, 38% of people told Sainsbury’s Bank Home Insurance researchers that they were planning to undertake DIY work on their home or garden the holiday. With two more bank holidays in May, similar levels of DIY activity could be in the offing.
The Supermarket Bank is urging home owners to make sure they are not leaving themselves uninsured when it comes to making improvements to their homes.
The research also shows that it is men who like to do the DIY. Some 13% are likely to undertake some carpentry compared with 4% of women while 10% are happy to get on with some plumbing compared to just 2% of women.
But they could be heading for a mishap with the research showing that top of the dangers are floors being damaged by tools or spilled paint, damage to internal walls, electrical damage and flooding due to a nail being hammered into a pipe.
The Bank points out that if home owners are using tradesmen rather than attempting work themselves they should make sure the workmen are fully insured, and it’s important to let your insurer know of any planned activity in advance.
If they are undertaking major works, for example building an extension, changing windows or converting a loft, they should make sure that once the work is complete the insurer is aware of it as it could have affect contents and buildings insurance.
The research findings show that of those who have undertaken renovation work at their property in the last three years just 21% notified their insurer and only 7% did so once the work was complete.
Home owners in London are most likely to have pre-warned their insurer ahead of works with 41% doing so, whilst those in East of England leave themselves most open to risk with 9% telling their insurer they were completing work.
‘We’re a nation of DIY lovers and many of us will be planning some home or garden work over the coming weeks. Our research shows that just under a quarter of people undertaking work had notified their insurer, which may lead to them being uninsured,’ said Karen Hogg, head of insurances at Sainsbury’s Bank.
