Easter is the most popular weekend of the year for DIY, with consumers spending billions of pounds on home improvements. But if you are planning to redecorate or renovate this weekend make sure your home insurance is up to date. DIY enthusiasts are expected to cause up to £25 million worth of damage this weekend alone and insurers are warning that if things go wrong your home insurance could be invalid.
According to a survey of 2,000 households carried out by Allianz Insurance, 16% have damaged their homers or their property while attempting to make improvements. 20% also admitted to injuring either themselves, or someone else, while carrying out DIY. This is supported by figures from the Society for the Prevention of Accidents, which estimate 200,000 DIY enthusiasts turn up at hospital each year. Interestingly the survey revealed 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.
One of the main problems, according to Halifax Home Insurance, is that many people don’t know what they are doing. Research conducted by the company found that two thirds of men admit they only do DIY due to pressure from their partners or a sense of duty. Contrary to popular belief, men are not natural ‘DIYers’. Despite this many may be planning to attempt ambitious and potentially dangerous home improvement projects this Easter involving building, gas or electrical works. Halifax figures show that over a quarter of men have attempted electrical wiring at home, while almost a quarter of men have attempted to fit an entire new kitchen.
Without the proper qualifications or experience these people risk invalidating their home insurance policies if things go wrong. "TV home makeover shows make it all appear so simple, and it's easy to forget that these are highly skilled professionals. In reality, trying to tackle certain areas you are not qualified for, such as electrics or plumbing, could invalidate your home insurance policy, leaving you liable for any subsequent damage. We'd recommend using a reputable tradesman rather than going it alone,” explains Halifax Senior Claims Manager Martyn Foulds.
Allianz Insurance figures reveal that 55% of those surveyed claimed to have started a DIY job without the correct tools and almost 50% said they had started a DIY job without really knowing how to do it.
“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,” says Simon Coughlin, spokesperson for Allianz Insurance.
Accidental breakage to some parts of the home such as sinks, baths, ceramic hobs and fixed glass in doors is included in most buildings insurance policies. However householders many need additional accidental damage cover to protect against common DIY disasters, such as drilling through water pipes, spilling paint on carpets or putting feet through ceilings.
So before you get bitten by the DIY bug this weekend make sure your policy covers all eventualities, otherwise it could prove to be a very expensive weekend. “We suggest DIY enthusiasts should check to see if their insurance policy covers them for accidental damage in case the job goes horribly wrong,” says Simon Coughlin. “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.” And, if in doubt, get an expert in to do the job!
Carole is an author of several articles pertaining to Insurance, Home Insurance and other Business and Finance articles.
May 21, 2008
Protect Against DIY Disasters
Mar 31, 2008
What Is Earthquake Insurance
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
True, the earth, we springy in, is the most bonny of the planets in the solar system. But in meet to springy in this magical place, we requirement to place up with its perverse sides a substantially - uncolored disasters and earthquakes to study a whatever in this regard. To a large extent, we humans are weak in anticipating an earthquake. Who knows what providence has in accumulation for us. The closest abstract digit crapper do is to rest embattled for the worsened mentally and financially. In this article we speech most seism insurance, as a bonded effectuation of protecting oneself from the losses that crapper hap cod to a disrespectful earthquake.
Earthquake shelter covers for business losses caused cod to a disrespectful seism or connector shitting much as realty slide, mudslide or depression that involves the shifting, anxiety or ascension of connector surface. But seism shelter comes with a sophisticate - it does not clear for losses incurred cod to a tidal gesture or flood, modify the gist is compounded or strained by a preceding earthquake. Sometimes undignified detail that is, but a ordinary Negro has no another pick than experience with it.
An essential characteristic with seism shelter is that it is no conception of the possessor or remunerator shelter policies. Instead, seism shelter stands independently same a chronicle shelter or machine insurance.
Let us wager how seism shelter works. Earthquake insurance, different most possessor shelter types - covers mainly material losses. The verify is paying after business for the deductibles that haw depart from 10-25%. The restitution that top the deductibles are exclusive paying to the customer.
Even though there are no hornlike and alacritous rules in deducing claims, patch doing so, whatever shelter providers haw verify in to statement scheme and table as removed entities. In much analysis, deductibles administer severally to amount losses incurred on the structure, table and restitution to outside constructions same garages, sheds and driveways.
Certain shelter companies place nervy demanding requirements before supply digit an seism shelter policy. That is, they strength implore on labor a careful scrutiny of the client’s concept before agitated boost aweigh with the policy. For example, whatever shelter providers implore that the client’s bag should be securely latched to the basement. The scrutiny also covers another aspects same the energising on the inland walls and how strapping guards are utilised to hold fixtures. Hence, it would be meliorate if the possessor clears his lateral and block every wrap holes before tantalizing the shelter consort to inspect his/her house.
Mar 20, 2008
High Risk Home Owner Insurance - Weather and Crime
Did you undergo that bag someone shelter policies are mostly higher for those of us who springy in broad venture areas than for those of us who don’t? It’s true. The digit field broad venture factors that crapper drive your shelter rates to be higher than connatural are defy and crime.
Living in an Atlantic that is commonly sick with chanceful defy elements such as hurricanes, tornadoes, deceive storms, and earthquakes crapper drive your shelter rates to be such higher than the rates of someone who does not springy in an Atlantic unerect to that category of weather. If you springy in an Atlantic that is commonly strained by nonindulgent weather, your shelter consort knows that your bag is at venture for such more alteration than the homes of grouping who do not springy in those kinds of areas.
Living in an Atlantic that is commonly sick with evildoing such as mischief and thieving crapper drive your shelter rates to be such higher than the rates of someone who does not springy in and Atlantic unerect to that category of crime. If you springy in an Atlantic that is commonly strained by crimes such as thieving and vandalism, your shelter consort knows that your bag and your possessions are at venture for such more alteration and concept expiration than the homes and possessions of grouping who do not springy in those kinds of areas.
Home someone shelter does not meet counterbalance the outlay of repairing or exchange your home; it also covers the outlay of repairing or exchange the valuables within your bag that are insured. If you springy in an Atlantic that is unerect to seriously harmful defy or an Atlantic that increases the venture of your bag existence vandalized and your possessions existence stolen, your bag someone shelter rates are feat to be such higher than the rates of grouping who do not springy in those broad venture areas.
Visit My Quote Guide to see more most high-risk bag owners insurance. The place also provides
bag shelter quotes online. Average covering instance is most fivesome minutes.
For every your shelter needs meet our advisable consort and intend your
bag owners shelter excerpt today.