Easter DIY-ers; check your home insurance
02 April 2010 / by Rachel Mason
Churchill Home Insurance is warning homeowners planning to do some DIY this Easter weekend to make sure they have adequate home insurance to cover any potential mishaps.
The insurer estimates that a quarter of UK households will be painting, decorating and renovating over the Easter break, and is urging them to check their home insurance policies.
According to Churchill’s research, one in ten 18-34 year olds have had an accident or damaged their home or its contents while doing DIY, paying out any average of £118 to fix their mishaps.
Some of the most common DIY disasters include falling off a ladder and breaking furniture, spilling paint or white spirit on the carpet and furniture, dropping things on glass tales and drilling or hammering into pipes and cables.
Martin Scott, head of Churchill Home Insurance says while these ‘accidents’ may not sound too serious, if your home insurance doesn’t include accidental damage, fixing the mishap could seriously expensive, claiming the cost of fixing DIY damage is more than £200 million.
He 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.”
But according to Halifax Home Insurance, if you do have a DIY mishap, it may not even be your fault.
In a survey commissioned by the insurer it was found that DIY ability is in the genes, and that two in three Brits lack the necessary spatial awareness to complete DIY tasks.
“Although there is not one specific DIY gene, spatial awareness is vital in understanding how shapes fit together and is therefore fundamental to DIY skills,” explained psychologist Dr Glenn Wilson, who led the experiment. “Some people simply do not have the mental equipment necessary to manipulate shapes and will always struggle to complete DIY tasks successfully.”
The survey claims eight million DIY jobs were botched last year by genetically inept DIY-ers, and Martyn Foulds, senior claims manager at Halifax Home Insurance said this research proves why having accidental damage on your home insurance is so important.
“Halifax Home Insurance recommends homeowners check their home insurance policy before embarking on a DIY project,” he said.
“Accidental damage to some parts of the home such as sinks, baths and ceramic hobs is included in most home insurance policies, but it is worth considering taking out additional accidental damage cover to protect against common DIY mishaps such as spilt paint, drilling through pipes, or putting feet through ceilings.”
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