Brits cause £350 million damage copying DIY shows

Three quarters of a million Britons have wreaked havoc in their homes after trying to emulate something that they had seen on a home improvement TV show, according to latest research from Halifax Home Insurance. And at an average cost of £484 per time to rectify the damage, these bungling Brits have had to shell out over £350 million for repairs.

The research also found that Britain’s love affair for home makeover shows continues, with some 12 million Britons saying that they’d been inspired to embark upon a home improvement project after watching one in the past five years - spending an average of £4,880 each time.

Changing Rooms, arguably The Godfather of makeover shows and famous for its liberal use of MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard), was cited as the show that most people had tried to recreate in their home. In fact a whopping one-in-four British adults (27%) said that the show had turned them into a Handy Andy or Mandy. Property Ladder was said to have inspired 22% of Britons into carrying out a similar home improvement, while DIY SOS, the show that puts DIY disasters right, has been copied by 21%.

Home Idol

DIY SOS presenter, Nick Knowles, was also crowned as Britain’s Home Idol with some 7.2 million Brits (16%) finding him to be the most inspirational home makeover television personality. Knowles pipped straight-talking presenter of Property Ladder, Sarah Beeney (13%) and the ultra passionate Kevin McCloud of Grand Designs (10%) to the post.

Vicky Emmott, Halifax Home Insurance, said: “It all looks so simple on TV, making it easy to forget that the work on makeover shows is being carried out by highly trained and skilled professionals. But if you don’t know what you’re doing we’d advise anyone planning any major improvements that DIY should really stand for Don’t Involve Yourself. Indeed trying to tackle certain areas that you are not qualified for, such as electrics or plumbing could invalidate your home insurance and leave you liable for the cost of any subsequent damage. It’s far better to employ a reputable tradesman than to risk damaging your home by going it alone.”

Emmott continued: “Even Changing Rooms itself was not immune to the odd DIY disaster. Linda Barker once destroyed someone’s valuable collection of teapots after some shelves collapsed! So it’s certainly worth checking that your home insurance will cover you for accidental damage before carrying work out on your own.”

Accidental Damage and DIY

Halifax Home Insurance also advises that before embarking on any work around the house it's important to check your insurance. Accidental breakage to some parts of your home e.g. baths, sinks, ceramic hobs and fixed glass in doors, is included as standard in most buildings insurance policies but you may need additional accident cover to protect you against drilling through pipes or putting feet through ceilings.

With Halifax Contents Insurance, accidental damage cover is provided as standard on a number of items such as damage to TV's, videos, computer equipment and glass in furniture or mirrors. Halifax advises the public to check that their policy covers accidental damage for buildings and contents and where necessary, accidental damage cover is taken as an add-on. Halifax's accidental damage offering can be purchased on both buildings and contents and will cover customers for numerous DIY-related incidents.