DIY fans expected to cause up to £25 million damage this Easter

DIY enthusiasts could cause up to £25million worth of damage in British homes this Easter weekend - one of the most popular periods for taking on home improvements.

Research suggests that a clumsy 16 per cent of people have damaged their homes or their property carrying out a DIY improvement and the industry expects to pay out anything up to £25 million for DIY-related damage this Easter.

A survey of 2,000 householders by Allianz Insurance also found that nearly 30 per cent of people admit they have injured themselves or someone else while carrying out a DIY job. This figure is supported by the fact that an estimated 200,000 DIY enthusiasts turn up at hospital each year.

Worryingly, 55 per cent admitted to starting a DIY job without the correct tools and almost 50 per cent said that they had started a DIY job without really knowing how to do it - including electrical and plumbing jobs.

Simon Coughlin, spokesman for Allianz Insurance, said: 'Before they start, we suggest DIY enthusiasts should check to see if their insurance policy covers them for accidental damage in case the job goes horribly wrong. The average cost of a claim for DIY related damage is £600 and our claims staff expect to be busier than usual following a Bank Holiday weekend.'

Householders in the north east of England have the most DIY disasters, while people in the south east are least likely to have a mishap.

Men are more likely to do DIY around the home, with the survey finding that women are more DIY active in only 13 per cent of households.

Homer Simpson type men exist in one in ten homes where the woman of the house does the majority of DIY repairs.

A fifth of people admit to having one uncompleted DIY job on the go at the moment, with 6 per cent of households having five or more jobs unfinished. One householder admitted taking six days to put up a shelf and another spent more then seven years tiling their bathrooms.

Simon Coughlin added: 'Thankfully people can add accidental damage cover to their buildings and contents insurance to cover them for paint spilt on carpets or hammering a nail into a pipe.

'We encourage people to take good care of their homes but it is important they know what they are doing and use the right tools for the job.'