High cost of bad DIY

THOUSANDS of Britons have carried out home improvements in the hope of boosting the value of their property, but many may have reduced it, an insurer warned today.

Around 27 per cent of homeowners admit they have undertaken electrical jobs without professional help, while 22 per cent have attempted plumbing work, and 9 per cent have tried their hand at structural improvements, such as removing walls.

But LV> home insurance warned that if the work was done badly it could reduce a home's sale price by as much as 5 per cent, and that money would have to be spent on repairing the damage.