DIY trend for January

A post on easier.com has highlighted what we have been upto in the UK during January. With money being a bit tighter, more of us are staying in rather than going out socialising at weekends. And doing DIY projects is one of the things we are filling our time with. But DIY Doctor would like to remind people to take care – please read up on the work you are tackling, take the appropriate safety measures and do the correct preparation.

Martyn Foulds from Halifax Home Insurance says

“DIY is a great way to save money and keep yourself occupied – but for many it can prove a false economy.  Our research shows on average more than one in six DIY jobs go wrong, each costing £426 to fix. With more than four million DIY tasks already having been botched this month, we estimate the cost to homeowners has been almost £540 million.”

According to statistics, 66% of people will choose not to employ a professional tradesman, and will get help from friends or family, even though most of them will be unqualified. If you are considering taking on a more complicated home improvement project, Halifax urges you to consider taking on a professional.

Mr Foulds adds “We advise anyone undertaking big jobs to check their home insurance policy to ensure they are adequately covered for accidental damage.  For larger jobs involving gas, electrical or plumbing work, it’s always best to call a qualified professional, otherwise homeowners run the risk of invalidating their home insurance policy if things go wrong.”

There is more information on Home Insurance on our project page.

If you would like to get free quotes from reliable and insured tradespeople for your home improvement project, click here.