An Aviva study of around 1,000 recent home-movers found that people spent on average more than £10,000 in the first year doing up their new properties.
However the research also found that DIY failures often cause more expense than savings.
Nine out of 10 people surveyed said they tried to save on their domestic outlays by doing at least some of the renovations and redecorations themselves.
However, 39% admitted they had a DIY disaster while doing up their new home and worse still, when things went wrong, 54% of DIY-ers had to call in a professional to put right their mistakes.
The most common DIY disasters revealed by the study are as follows:
- Spilled paint on carpet / furniture
- Plaster fell off walls
- Burst pipe
- Put a hole through wall / ceiling
- Injured self
- Did a poor job of decorating and had to re-do
- Ceiling fell down
- Broke a window
- Broke an electrical item e.g. TV
- Broke a household item e.g. ornament / furniture
Adam Beckett, propositions director for Aviva, said: “When it comes to decorating and renovating most of us have a ‘can do’ attitude – or we’re at least willing to give things a go. Budgets are often tight after a house move too, so DIY can be a great way of saving cash. However, the reality is that some jobs are trickier than they look and can actually ending up costing more if mistakes need to be put right.
“It’s always worth weighing up whether the DIY route is the best way to go, particularly when it comes to plumbing or electrical jobs which could be extremely dangerous if things go wrong. Prevention is better than the cure when it comes to DIY disasters, but when mistakes do happen, it’s worth getting in touch with your home insurance provider – particularly if you have accidental damage cover – as they may well be able to help you get back to that ‘house beautiful’.”
