A Bank Holiday - handy for DIY?
It is estimated that decorating projects can end up by costing homeowners a fortune in tradesman's bills - as they get called in to right one in six past disasters.
Three quarters of householders beginning DIY projects don't know if they are covered by their home insurance - but 87 per cent don't even know if there is any cover at all. 47 per cent do not inform their home insurer of major DIY updates, while 17 per cent do not have accidental damage cover as a part of their policy terms and conditions.
Steve Gilbert, technical underwriting manager from Zurich, said: "With so many homeowners trying their hand at DIY, mistakes will happen but as this research shows it's important to know your limits if you don't want to end up out of pocket.
"Doing it yourself can be a great achievement but we would like to remind all DIY novices that they can often endanger themselves and their property, so if you are unsure, always call in a professional. There are some areas, such as certain electrical works, which now legally require a trained electrician to attend to. It's a good idea to call your insurer to check that you are covered in the event of DIY going wrong, and certainly to make sure that any structural changes won't void your policy. If you live in a newer home, you should also make sure that any work you carry out, no matter how significant, will not invalidate the building guarantee the property may have."
The Alliance and Leicester Building Society calculates that 73 per cent of home owners are inspired to turn to DIY after watching TV programmes showing how professionals have transformed other properties.
May 21st 2008