Home improvers told to consider insurance

People undertaking DIY and home improvement projects may need to revalue their home insurance, one expert has claimed.

According to Steve Foulsham, technical services officer for the British Insurance Brokers’ Association, consumers ought to think about the size of the project and whether they will need to “reassess” either their contents or buildings insurance .

“If it’s an expensive, state-of-the-art new kitchen worth £10,000, then you may wish to increase your sum insured to cater for that,” he advised.

However, if the item being installed is flatpacked, it may only come under buildings insurance when it is actually fixed down, he explained.

Recent research by Halifax Home Insurance revealed that three quarters of a million people in the UK have caused damaged to their homes having been inspired by a DIY makeover programme on TV in recent years.

The firm estimated that the total cost to homeowners to carry out repairs on their botched jobs reached £350 million.

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