With the first Bank Holiday of the year upon us many householders are thinking about home improvements.

But according to new figures it might just be a good idea to think twice before swinging that hammer.

Research by www.myhammer.co.uk found that DIY disasters cost UK homeowners a staggering £2.1 billion a year.

Over 24% of those surveyed had experienced a DIY disaster in the last 12 months which had cost an average of £145 to put right. With 60% of UK homeowners planning home improvements this Spring they may like to consider the advice of those who’ve tackled jobs themselves in the past – 42% of those polled said they wished they’d hired a tradesman before attempting jobs themselves.

63% of house-proud Brits are planning an interior facelift with a lick of paint, while 33% have a garden overhaul in mind and over a third intend to fit a new bathroom or kitchen. Almost a fifth are planning bigger projects like loft conversions and extensions.

According to John Russell, building expert for Channel 5’s Cowboy Builders, “The consequences of getting DIY wrong can be catastrophic. What may seem an achievable task can end up costing hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds to put right. Over the years I have been to numerous homes were DIY has gone disastrously wrong.

''On one occasion a home owner attempted to remove a chimney stack from the roof by tying a rope around it and then attaching it to his tow bar and driving off. The result was thousands of pounds worth of damage to his roof on job that should have cost a few hundred pounds. Although this may seem an extreme case, the fact remains that the home owner thought they were doing the right thing. A little knowledge is dangerous”.

Gerrit Mueller, from My Hammer said:“If you are not terribly skilled it can be more cost effective to pay for work to be done to be sure of a professional job and save money in the long run rather than righting DIY disasters. Tradesmen at My Hammer are reviewed by other customers to give you extra confidence when picking the winning quote.”

18 April 2011