Homeowners warned against over-reliance on DIY
Personal insurance
2nd October 2009
Homeowners are advised that although carrying out improvements to their properties is cheaper, they are unlikely to "get such a good job as inviting professional tradesmen in" to carry out work, it has been suggested.
Andrew Leech, director of the National Home Improvement Council, explained that tasks such as building a new extension or rewiring can be difficult and there are now regulations in place to state that they should be completed by trained professionals.
He also pointed out there are safety issues associated with DIY and costs can exceed what a tradesperson would have been paid if something goes wrong.
According to Mr Leech, "the only pro is that you save a bit of money" by doing work yourself and he advises anyone planning more than "decorating or repainting the property" to get a professional to look at it and give them some advice.
Home insurance customers may be interested in a recent YouGov poll, which found that 11 per cent of respondents have carried out major structural work on their houses in the past and many failed to check official building guidelines when doing so.
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