Many homeowners are looking forward to dusting out the cobwebs with a good spring clean when warmer weather finally arrives, but DIY can be a risky business Churchill home insurance has warned.

Over the past year alone, one fifth of householders have accidentally damaged their home or its contents while performing DIY tasks.

In their enthusiasm to improve their home, one in ten have caused accidental damage on more than one occasion, spilling paint on the carpet, smashing a table with a hammer or falling from a ladder.

And given that each accidental damage claim costs £540 on average, Britons have incurred £2.6 billion in claims for the damage they unintentionally wreak on their own home.

With eight in ten householders admitting they wished they were better at DIY, it is evident that their expertise may not match their eagerness, but accidental damage cover helps safeguard the home from the mishaps that can befall the best-intentioned DIY devotee.

Last week, an Ulster doctor reported that DIY enthusiasts in the UK suffer 20,000 serious eye injuries each year from spraying paints and flying wood chips.

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© Adfero Ltd