TV DIY programmes inspire 8 million Brits

Nearly eight million (7,776,000) Brits claim that they have undertaken home improvement work after watching DIY programmes, according to research from Confused.com - UK insurance price comparison site.

However, almost six million (5,904,000) of these budding Laurence Llewelyn-Bowens have admitted to having DIY disasters, with more than half a million people (600,000) admitting that they have had to claim on their home insurance as a result. Simon Lamble - product director at Confused.com - has come up with a few safety tips to help overzealous home improvers to avoid self-inflicted mishaps:

Avoid electrifying results: if a job is beyond your ability, hire a professional. This is particularly important for any electrical jobs which should only be carried out by a qualified electrician. It is also vital to have a good knowledge of where electrical wiring is, especially when drilling through walls.

Use equipment safely: tools are responsible for 21,300 accidents in the UK each year, and so it is vital not only to be extremely careful but also to check that the equipment carries British or European quality marks. If it comes with a safety manual, it is important to read it!

Don't undertake DIY alone: there should always be someone on-hand, in case an accident happens. Falls from ladders account for 20% of DIY-related hospital admissions every year, and so encouraging somebody to hold the ladder steady might be a wise idea.

Watch out for weak spots: make sure that boards are carefully laid down across beams, when undertaking any work in a loft or attic, for example.

Simon Lamble comments: "It is great that so many people have been inspired to undertake home improvement work by DIY programmes, but it is important to remember that television often makes tasks look easier than they are, so consider hiring a professional if the work is beyond your ability. In fact, some policies stipulate that only professionally accredited tradesmen should carry out certain work, so it is worth checking that you are not inadvertently rendering your insurance invalid by failing to read the small-print.

"It is important to look at your home insurance policy to check that you are fully covered, should things go wrong, bearing in mind that most policies will only pay for damage as a result of DIY mistakes if you have cover for Accidental Damage. This being said, it is also necessary to take extra safety precautions, as DIY disasters can cost lives; botched home improvement attempts are already responsible for sending approximately 200,000 people to hospital each year."