According to a survey carried out earlier this year, a staggering 77 per cent of people in the UK have admitted that they ended up making mistakes whilst carrying out DIY on the property as part of a renovation job, costing them a considerable amount in the process. Are you one of them? It can be easy to be tempted to take on the renovation work yourself in order to cut down on costs, but if not carried out properly, it could end up costing you more. Secured Loans takes a look at the most common costly DIY mistakes people tend to make on the properties, and how you can circumvent the same thing happening to you in the future.
Damaging furnishings and carpets
In the same survey, over 61% carrying out DIY work revealed that they ended up damaging their furnishings and carpets, most notably by accidentally ending up spilling gloss paint, emulsion, white spirit or turps onto surfaces or floors. This can be a particularly costly mistake when it comes to flooring, as it could damage carpets permanently (for example, gloss paint can be very difficult to remove) meaning you need to replace it completely. To avoid this, or to lessen the damage if something does spill on a surface or floor, here are some steps it is advised that you follow:
- Always make sure that you take preventive steps before carrying out paintwork by covering up or removing any items you do not want to be painted from the room
- If you accidentally spill spirits onto the floor, you should try to absorb the product with a mop as soon as possible to try and get as much as you can out of the carpet. This can help to remove spirit from the carpet, but the smell may linger for a little while afterwards
- For emulsion spills, scoop it up carefully using a little water to remove as much as you can, and then it may be best having the carpet professionally cleaned to remove it
Not getting the right permits for renovations
Not getting the right planning permission when carrying out certain kinds of home-improvement projects can end up becoming an expensive error, and one that nearly a third of people in the UK have admitted to making. Not all work requires permission, but if you unsure as to what does need it and what doesn’t, it is important that you check with your local council before undertaking renovation work, to make sure that you have everything in place. You can also check on sites such as planningportal.co.uk which outline the kinds of permit you may need depending on the work you are carrying out.
Injury whilst carrying out DIY
Don’t do rush jobs when carrying out DIY work, as you have more chance of having an accident.
In another poll surveying over 2,000 people, 68 per cent of them revealed they had ended up hurting themselves in some way whilst doing DIY work on the property. This can end up costing you in multiple senses (for example, depending on how severe the injury is, you may lose income due to needing to take time off work to recover, needing to now hire professional help to complete the work, or having to pay additional fees due to not having the right insurance cover in place). Here some of the ways that you can help to reduce the chance of having an accident whilst doing DIY:
- Always check the condition of the ladder if you are using one before carrying out works from a height
- Read the instructions for new tools or products before using them
- Make sure that you disconnect all electrical appliances or products before cleaning or repairing them, to eliminate the risk of becoming susceptible to an electric shock
- Store products in the original containers
- Put away items as soon as you don’t need them, as this is how trips and contamination of substances can occur
Using the wrong paint
Using the wrong paint can end up being a costly and time-consuming error to make.
Using the wrong paint is a common mistake made by a number people carrying out DIY work, and having to spend additional time and money correcting the error can be both annoying and expensive. Here are some tips to keep in mind so that you can lessen the chance of this happening to you:
- If you are doing a particularly specialist job (e.g. you need to paint a staircase using lacquer) then get advice before picking your product at the store where you are buying the paint
- If your house is rendered and you have decided to paint it, make sure that you have sealed it properly
- Don’t make the mistake of thinking that watered-down PVA glue can seal a rendered house, as over time the paint will bubble and peel off the wall
Not measuring up accurately
Rushing with taking measurements when carrying out home improvements can be a pricey error to make, as you may have to end up buying additional materials if you have cut or measured something incorrectly. Take the measurements at least twice, and don’t try to rush the process.
Not preparing surfaces
More than half of people in the original survey admitted to not preparing surfaces properly whilst carrying out painting works. This may mean you may have to end up doing the job twice due to a lack of preparation. There are a number of things you can do to ensure that surfaces are properly ready for painting:
- If you are painting a room, use a diluted solution of sugar soap and a sponge, working the mixture into the surface of walls, skirting boards, window frames doors and other remaining fixtures to make sure these surfaces are clean.
- After using this sugar soap solution clean using a fresh sponge or cloth
- Rake out loose paster with a scraper or filing knife, then dampen the crack with a small paintbrush to help encourage the new filler and leave to dry.
