When a neighbour embarks on some home improvements, it is not just the noise of hammers and power drills that you need to worry about. According to a survey conducted by Halifax Home Insurance, £173m worth of damage is caused to the surrounding homes every year as a result of neighbours’ misguided DIY attempts.
The veritable array of destruction ranges from walls eroding and falling down, to burst water pipes and damage to personal possessions. Some steps can be taken to avoid breakages on a small scale, by removing valuable objects, ornaments and furnishings from harm’s way as well as covering furniture with dust sheets and following all safety instructions if you are using the tools yourself. The cost of replacing and repairing damages runs into hundreds of pounds (and unkown costs to good neighbouring relationships!). Research showed that 590,000 failed DIY projects caused some degree of devastation to neighbouring properties.
However, it is not only the DIY efforts of our friends and neighbours that give us a headache, and an enormous bill, but professional workmen and builders are also to blame for causing damage. Although it may be unintentional, the 10% of damage produced by those workers whom our neighbours have paid to construct their loft extensions and conservatories, is rarely compensated for or reimbursed. In the majority of cases the homeowner did not pay the total cost, with 27% of costs being shared between neighbour and homeowner and 32% of the unfortunate and unwitting neighbours having to pay for the full costs of the damage out of their own pockets.
Moreover, the homeowner who has chosen to undertake some DIY will more often than not have to bring in an expert to rectify the mistakes that are, in most cases, an inevitable byproduct of an amateur job. Zurich found that homeowners are collectively paying around £1.5bn annually to amend their DIY mishaps. Around one in six of those who try to save money by endeavouring to carry out the work themselves end up costing themselves a great deal more, with a typical call-out fee coming to £280 in addition to the work needed to repair the initial damage.
Another costly aspect of ‘do it yourself’ exercises occurs during the aftermath when the homeowner discovers they are not actually covered by their insurance policy for any resultant damage. A majority of 87% admit to performing DIY on their property without making sure that they have the sufficient cover for both the work and any problems that may occur.
It is crucial to check the level of accidental damage covered in your policy and clarify with your home insurance provider that any work or structural alterations you wish to make will not affect your policy. Furthermore, if you have moved into a new house which requires work, make sure to verify with your insurer that the building guarantee will not be invalidated by any work you intend to carry out.
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