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By Sarah Modlock

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Own up. You know you're as guilty as the rest of us. If you can find one thing in your house or flat which is not (or was never) a DIY disaster then you are a rare creature. I haven't had any comedy moments with shelves collapsing yet but I must confess to never reading instructions for anything, insisting to myself that a flat-pack can't be rocket science. You can guess who wins. The extra time and stress expended on trying to DIY means the flat pack factory always has the last laugh.

It must run in my family; my brother heard an old wives' tale involving the use of flammable liquid and a match to remove a stain from an antique wooden dining table. You can guess the rest; a not-too-bad mark became an unmissable scar. French polishers are never short of work. Neither is my father who, thankfully with such inept children, is expert at fixing just about anything.

Dirty linen aired, I am relieved to find things could be worse. 750,000 Brits cause £350 million worth of damage in their attempts at home improvement according to the understanding (and no doubt regularly amused) people Halifax General Insurance. I can just imagine the sober wording of the files in the claims department:"Customer set fire to wooden table in attempt to remove stain".

The good news is that you are not to blame. Ubiquitous property and home makeover shows are at fault. They make it look so easy with their glue guns and MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard in case it comes up at the local pub quiz).

Changing Rooms was arguably 'The Godfather' of makeover shows. In fact a whopping one-in-four people said that the show turned them into a Handy Andy or er, Mandy. Property Ladder and Grand Designs are also favourites. But television has come full circle and is now making capital out of over-ambitious home-owners with DIY SOS (the one with the chap who needs a shave) featuring DIY disasters being put right. Apparently we find the style of Nick Knowles and the tough-love of Sarah Beeney and others like them inspirational.
Although this trend could soon be changing as figures begin to emerge of the high demand for knowledgeable and efficient handymen moving here from Poland.

Expensive bungles

With an average cost of £484 per bungle to rectify the damage, we don't seem to be learning. Home improvement has gone from hobby to passion to obsession. And as our homes increase in value, it's understandable that we are keen to invest in them. Apart from the practical and day-to-day pleasure of built-in wardrobes (Modlock senior's speciality) or starry-sky lighting in the bedroom, many people hope to make their money back when they downsize upon retirement and use their equity as a pension.

In a week where the news has exposed the increasing number of people doing DIY dental care, it's time to take stock. It's one thing to strip your own wallpaper or put up a shelf but if you lack knowledge, tools and patience then weigh up whether you are really likely to save cash by doing it yourself. Chances are it will turn out to be a false economy at best and an expensive - and potentially dangerous - problem at worst.

"It all looks so simple on TV, making it easy to forget that the work on makeover shows is being carried out by highly trained and skilled professionals," warns Halifax's Vicky Emmott. "Iif you don't know what you're doing we'd advise anyone planning any major improvements that DIY should really stand for Don't Involve Yourself. Indeed trying to tackle certain areas that you are not qualified for, such as electrics or plumbing could invalidate your home insurance and leave you liable for the cost of any subsequent damage. It's far better to employ a reputable tradesman than to risk damaging your home by going it alone."

Vicky Emmott highlights the fact that the Changing Rooms 'experts' had mishaps too. Linda Barker once destroyed someone's valuable collection of teapots when shelves collapsed. Then again 'mishaps' of that kind could come in useful if you want to see the back of some of your other half's novelty thimble or toby jug display. "It's certainly worth checking that your home insurance will cover you for accidental damage before carrying work out on your own," Vicky adds.

On a more serious note, accidental breakage to some parts of your home e.g. baths, sinks, ceramic hobs and fixed glass in doors, is included as standard in many buildings insurance policies but you may need additional accident cover to protect you against drilling through pipes or putting feet through ceilings.

Accidental damage cover is provided as standard on some policies for a number of items such as damage to TV's, videos, computer equipment and glass in furniture or mirrors. But Halifax advises the public to check that their policy covers accidental damage for buildings and contents and where necessary, you can buy accidental damage cover for numerous DIY-related incidents as an add-on.

Whether you're a first time buyer trying to save cash or an old hand with your pride at stake, it will pay to take the time to assess a job and check your insurance before rushing to do it yourself.