Rainy days can be a recipe for disaster, if homeowners, deprived of catching a few rays in the garden, suddenly decide it’s a perfect time to indulge in a little DIY. As home insurance claim specialist, Property Claim Assist, knows only too well, unless the DIY-er is crystal clear how to go about things, they could be damaging their home rather than improving it.
You only have to consider the fact that 4% of NHS hospital admissions are the result of DIY accidents (2019) and mishaps to see that homeowners can get things very wrong and it’s not just with the more complicated repairs. Insurer, Admiral, highlighted last year that decorating is the most common reason for an accidental damage insurance claim, accounting for 65% of the total DIY claims received.
About three-quarters of those accidental damage claims are due to paint spillages, but in one-in-ten cases it’s down to drilling and, in around one-in-twenty cases, lighting. 5% of cases relate to damage to fixtures and fittings.
Drilling Into DIY-Related Home Insurance Claims
Let’s think about drilling for a minute. If you haven’t used a pipe checking device, you can very easily drill straight through a hidden water pipe and suddenly have an escape of water insurance claim on your hands. The water damage that results can be far greater, if you didn’t familiarise yourself with the location of your stopcock before you stuck the drill into the wall, or if the water burst is on an upper level, with water running down through the property.
If you didn’t use a cable detector, you can also inadvertently drill or hammer into an electrical cable too, causing damage to your electrics and possibly also getting a nasty electric shock. Repairing the damage may well mean cutting into the wall to get to the cable – an unwelcome hit on the wallet.
Other DIY Disasters Resulting in Home Insurance Claims
Other DIY disasters may sound a little Laurel and Hardy, but evidence shows that ladders really do fall through windows, feet regularly plough through ceilings and items do get dropped on to ceramic hobs. People attempting to move their own washing machines do flood their kitchens and fires do, unfortunately, occur when DIY-ers get their electrical work wrong.
If you were born between 1981 and the late 1990s, look away now! Research suggests you are more likely than other generations to be behind DIY disaster stories and that almost 90% of DIY projects undertaken by ‘Millennials’ end in woe of some kind or other. 2% have actually started a fire through their DIY activities!
14% have broken items they were supposed to be repairing and 12% have suffered an electric shock. 11% have injured themselves or others, whilst handling DIY jobs and 5% have smashed a window.
The Cost of DIY Insurance Claims
DIY disasters cost around £6 billion a year to put right, with the average cost of resolving the disaster being £4861 (unless you are a Millennial, where the average if £5896). However, these are averages and one-in-ten DIY disasters results in a bill of £10,000, according to inspection body, RISA.
Insurers and Claims for Accidental DIY Damage
So what would your insurer make of all this? Firstly, unless you have accidental damage cover on your insurance policy, you are unlikely to be able to claim for anything DIY-related. Even then, if an insurer felt that you were reckless in attempting the DIY task, or not qualified enough to even contemplate it – particularly when it comes to plumbing and electrics – they could turn your claim down. If you are not Gas Safe Registered, it is illegal for you to work on any part of your gas supply anyway.
If the damage has been caused by major renovation works, of which your insurer was unaware, you could have a problem. They could argue that you should have arranged additional renovation insurance, to cover the risks involved.
You should also inform your insurer about any work that could affect the value of your home, such as knocking through walls, replacing a roof, carrying out a loft conversion or building an extension. Structural changes could invalidate your policy.
Help for Insurance Claims Caused by DIY
If you do suffer damage, and have an insurance claim likely to come in at over £10,000, Property Claim Assist is here to assist you and will do everything possible to argue your case, in line with the insurance protection you bought and the policy wording within your cover. Just call us on 0333 577 2720.
If you did not purchase accidental damage protection, however, and your loss relates to DIY, there is probably little option but to dig deep into your own pocket, as you simply will not be covered for the damage.
