More than a third (35%) of household claims received by Endsleigh Insurance since the beginning of last year were for accidental damage. With this in mind, the firm has warned against DIY mishaps ahead of the bank holiday weekend. 

Endsleigh has paid out, on average, £933.56 to households on each of these claims. Many of these were caused by DIY projects going wrong. 

With the second of two May bank holidays coming up in a few days, DIY will be on the agenda for many people. The insurance provider has analysed the most common causes for the accidental damage claims it receives. These included ‘spilling paint over floors when decorating’, ‘knocking through a neighbour’s wall when doing building work’, ‘TVs falling off newly mounted wall brackets’, ‘damaging furniture when moving it out of a room to decorate’, and ‘newly hung mirrors falling off the wall’. 

“We have previously seen above average claims in May for accidental damage and it’s probably no coincidence this is a popular time of year for doing DIY jobs about the house,” Rory Grant, Home Account Manager at Endsleigh, said. 

“So with the average claim being close to £1,000, it’s really important that homeowners and tenants check that accidental damage is included within their home policy – especially if they’re planning any home improvements over the period. If not, they could see themselves having to foot an unexpected bill of several hundred pounds from a simple mistake.”

Simon Ayers, CEO of TrustMark, the government-endorsed ‘find a tradesman’ scheme, added. “DIY projects can be hugely gratifying, but homeowners should be cautious of attempting DIY beyond their skill-set to avoid any potential disasters.”

“Faulty wiring and ill-placed electrical sockets can be extremely dangerous and homeowners should never attempt to carry out electrical or rewiring work without a qualified expert.”