Take “eggstra” care when it comes to Easter DIY

It’s Easter – and traditionally (in our house anyway!) that means chocolate – and lots of it!

But for many people it also means there’s no escape from the dreaded DIY!

Man doing DIY using a power drill witha woman watching

With a long bank holiday weekend stretching ahead, no doubt you’ve got a DIY list that’s as long as your arm – but did you know, I might just have the perfect excuse for you?

You see, DIY projects are all well and good, but they may well invalidate your home insurance cover!

Yay! I hear you shout! Now’s the chance to make a bid for freedom and find something more interesting to do instead!

However – there’s still time to check your home insurance policy – and still time to make sure you’re covered for accidental damage – sorry!

The trouble is that most home and contents insurance policies don’t automatically cover accidental damage – it needs to be specifically added to your cover.

So if you knock over that tin of paint and ruin a carpet, or put a hole in the wall while you’re trying to manoeuvre that step ladder, you won’t be covered unless you’ve opted for extra insurance protection.

Research has shown that only 15% of buildings insurance and 14% of contents insurance policies include accidental damage as a standard clause – but it can be added to 84% of buildings policies and 85% of contents insurance policies for an extra charge.

And if you’re planning something a little more ambitious than just a coat of paint on a wall, you need to check your policy very carefully as policies usually exclude cover for structural alterations, renovations, poor workmanship and faulty materials.

So tackling major projects you’re not qualified to handle – such as electrical or plumbing work – could actually mean your insurance cover is worthless.

Insurers may also query whether any damage was actually an accident if you’ve been indulging in dodgy DIY work – as you have a duty of care to protect your home and possessions.

Thankfully in our house my husband is fully qualified to tackle that makeover I’ve been looking forward to – he’s a professional painter and decorator!

Sorry Simon – no excuses for you – your Easter “to do” list just got even longer!

Happy Easter everyone!

  Sallyanne

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