Don’t dig yourself into a DIY hole

Published 06th Apr 2007

The long weekend could hold a lot of Easter surprises, although not all of them nice, when Brits find that mishaps caused by over-enthusiastic DIY fall outside of their insurance policy

“With lighter nights and a cluster of bank holidays approaching, people’s thoughts invariably turn to home improvements,” says Richard Mason, director of insurance at moneysupermarket.com. “While most projects are straightforward, over 200,000 people are taken to hospital each year after DIY disasters.

“Check whether you have accidental damage cover on your home insurance, and if not, add it before you attempt DIY especially if the impact of your home improvement disasters affects others. A badly installed bathroom could be even more disastrous if it causes a leak that allows water into your neighbour’s house, as you could be left with a bigger and more costly problem on your hands.”

On a more positive note, not all DIY does end up going bad but you’ll still have to have a think about how this impacts upon your insurance. Mason advises: “Bigger DIY improvements like a new kitchen or bathroom is likely to add to the value of your property, so you should contact your insurer to increase your cover accordingly. In fact, check the details of your home insurance policy on an annual basis as the re-build value could also increase if improvements have been made.”

Homeowners are also advised to think carefully about making any claims as a result of damage this Easter weekend, as the effect it could potentially have on your premiums might mean it’s easier to fork out for smaller repairs yourself.

However, those escaping the country and the imminent bout of DIY fever shouldn’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet, but instead make sure that they have adequate breakdown cover should disaster strike.
By Ariane Buteux

Source: ' Personal Finance & Savings '

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