What Home Insurance Do You Need For DIY?

According to a new survey by a home insurance provider, Britain is now a nation of DIY addicts with around 30 million performing basic tasks such as painting, plumbing or tiling over the last year. However, what happens if something goes wrong?

Home insurance can be a saving grace when DIY mishaps occur but unfortunately many DIY workers risk invalidating their policies by not following the relevant compliant procedures.

For example, carrying out electrical work in high-risk areas such as bathrooms and gardens requires prior Building Control notification. This means that you must notify your Local Authority's Building Control department in advance about any work you plan to carry out. Furthermore, carrying out any structural work such as a loft conversion without informing your insurer in advance will almost certainly invalidate a policy.

You should also check your home insurance policy carefully before undertaking any work so you know exactly what is covered. For example, paint spillages and broken windows are only covered under the accidental damage element of a policy - and this is only available for an additional premium with several insurers.

So you should take a close look at what coverage you have in place before carrying out any DIY. Many homeowners may not want to keep their insurer informed for fear that their premiums could rise, but this is counterproductive as any dishonesty with an insurer will make your claim worthless anyway.

If you need to save money on home insurance then do so by increasing the security of your home. Fitting an approved alarm system such as the NACOSS burglar alarm, along with window and door locks and time-switch lights could all help you save. Reducing your fire risk too, with smoke alarms and fire extinguishers, could earn you a bonus.

Remember it pays to steer clear of accidents so take precautions to avoid mishaps by clearing a suitable space before undertaking any work, laying dust sheets and keeping valuables out of the way.